Former Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi has been re-arrested in Mpigi district, less than 24 hours after the International Crimes Division of the High Court granted him bail.
The circumstances of the arrest have not been explained, and by the time of publication, security agencies had not issued an official statement.
Samuel Muyizzi, a lawyer representing Kivumbi and a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP) legal team, said the former legislator was arrested on Friday afternoon while travelling from Butambala back to Kampala.
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“It is true he was returning to Kampala from Butambala where he spent the night,” Muyizzi said. “As we were driving through Mpigi, a drone was driven into the middle of the road, and they picked him up and drove him away at high speed. We have not known his whereabouts since.”
Kivumbi had been released on bail on Thursday after spending almost seven months on remand. Justice Susan Okalany ruled that he had a fixed place of residence, presented suitable sureties, and that the prosecution had not demonstrated he was likely to interfere with investigations.
He was arrested on January 22, 2026, following violence linked to the January 15 general elections.
According to prosecutors, Kivumbi and several others allegedly committed acts intended to intimidate the government for political purposes between January 11 and 17 in Kibibi and Gombe town councils.
The prosecution alleges the accused attacked Kibibi Police Station and the Electoral Commission tally centre in Butambala, damaged sections of the Butambala–Gomba Road and destroyed vehicles. Seven people are also reported to have been killed during the unrest.
Kivumbi was initially charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act before the Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court before the case was expanded to include 24 additional suspects.
His legal team, comprising Erias Lukwago, Samuel Muyizzi and Kenneth Paul Kakande, later applied for bail before the High Court pending trial.
Although authorities have not disclosed why Kivumbi was re-arrested, some of his associates believe the move could be linked to remarks he made after his release while addressing supporters in Butambala.
During the address, Kivumbi criticised President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and former Speaker Anita Among, blaming them for what he described as Uganda’s political crisis.
He also accused Gen Muhoozi of engaging in partisan politics through the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), arguing that the military chief should not participate in political activities while serving as the country’s top military commander.
Kivumbi further told supporters that his time in prison had strengthened his commitment to advocating for political change, saying he remained determined to continue the struggle even if it put his life at risk.
Kivumbi, who is the National Unity Platform’s vice president for Buganda, lost his parliamentary seat in the January general elections.
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