MWE Correspondent
The Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Ms Mariam Wangadya, has directed Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to immediately release opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi’s chief bodyguard, Mr Edward Rogers Ssebufu, warning that failure to comply would constitute contempt of constitutional authority.
Mr Ssebufu, widely known as “Mutwe,” was reportedly abducted on April 26, 2025, in Mukono District by plainclothes and uniformed security personnel. Since then, there has been no official record of his detention. Police spokespersons have denied having him in custody, and as of May 1, his whereabouts remained unknown.
In a strongly worded letter dated May 2, Ms Wangadya invoked Article 53(1)(d) of Uganda’s Constitution, stressing that the continued unlawful detention of Mr Ssebufu violates fundamental rights and that any further defiance would be deemed contempt of the UHRC’s legal authority.
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The controversy deepened after Gen Muhoozi, who is also President Yoweri Museveni’s son, posted a series of disturbing messages on his X (formerly Twitter) account, suggesting he was personally detaining Mr Ssebufu in his basement. One post included a photo appearing to show Ssebufu partially undressed, with Gen Muhoozi mocking the opposition guard and stating he was “learning Runyankore,” a dialect from western Uganda.
“Correct Kabobi! What will you do about it? Coward,” Gen Muhoozi wrote in a taunt aimed at Kyagulanyi—popularly known as Bobi Wine—who recently announced his second bid for the presidency in 2026.
In another post, Gen Muhoozi escalated his rhetoric: “I haven’t started. I still have to castrate him… Next is Kabobi! I have never joked in my life. I don’t know why people think my tweets are jokes. If Kabobi abuses anybody in my family again, he will imperil Eddie even more than he already has.”
The posts have sparked outrage across civil society and political circles, with human rights groups demanding urgent action to secure Ssebufu’s release and investigate Gen Muhoozi’s conduct. Legal experts argue that his actions could amount to extrajudicial detention and incitement to torture—serious violations under both Ugandan and international law.
Opposition figures have accused the military establishment of increasingly using intimidation tactics to stifle dissent ahead of the 2026 general elections. Bobi Wine and his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), have called for international pressure on Uganda’s leadership to respect human rights and the rule of law.
The government has yet to issue a formal response to the UHRC’s directive or the public uproar surrounding the CDF’s social media declarations.
