Ugandan police have confirmed the arrest of opposition lawmaker Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, days after President Yoweri Museveni publicly accused him of involvement in violent attacks linked to post-election unrest.
In a brief statement issued on Thursday, Katonga regional police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe said the Butambala County Member of Parliament was in police custody and would be produced in court at a later date.
“The Uganda Police Force confirms the arrest of Hon Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi. He is currently detained and will be arraigned before court in due course,” she said in a post on social media.
Mr Kivumbi’s arrest comes amid heightened concern from rights groups and opposition parties over the treatment of opposition figures following the 15 January general elections.
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Earlier this week, President Museveni accused sections of the opposition of organising coordinated violence after losing parliamentary contests. Speaking during a post-election address at his Rwakitura residence in Kiruhura District, the president alleged that groups armed with machetes had attempted to attack polling stations in Butambala after Mr Kivumbi was defeated in the race.
Mr Museveni said security forces responded forcefully, resulting in the deaths of seven people. He described the alleged violence as terrorism and warned that similar actions elsewhere would be dealt with decisively.
“What happened in Butambala is what they were planning to do across the country,” the president said, adding that intelligence agencies had prior information about the alleged plots.
Mr Kivumbi, who lost the closely contested seat to former journalist Eriasa Mukiibi, has denied the accusations. In a video shared online last weekend, he accused security forces of using excessive force, displaying what he said were bullet holes and damaged property at his premises.
He also claimed that several of his supporters were killed during the operation, alleging that bodies were removed to support the official version of events. The claims have not been independently verified.
The arrest also comes as National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, alleged that hundreds of party supporters and two senior party officials had been forcibly disappeared in recent days. Authorities have not responded publicly to those claims.
President Museveni has since repeated his accusations against opposition figures, issuing a warning that any attempts to destabilise the country would be met with force. He also alleged that some opposition actors were linked to foreign groups seeking to undermine Uganda, claims strongly rejected by opposition leaders.
Mr Kyagulanyi earlier dismissed the president’s assertions, saying they were based on flawed intelligence.
Similar allegations of organised violence surfaced during the previous election cycle, when former MPs Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana were detained for more than a year over charges related to deadly attacks in central Uganda. The charges were later dropped, and Mr Ssegirinya died in 2025.
President Museveni was declared the winner of the January presidential election with 71.65% of the vote, extending his rule to nearly 40 years. The opposition has rejected the results, citing alleged irregularities, heavy security presence and an internet shutdown during polling.
If upheld by the courts, Mr Museveni’s new term is set to begin in May 2026.
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