Katikkiro Mayiga Slams Arrest of Eddie Mutwe, Demands Due Process
Kampala, Uganda – May 5, 2025 – Buganda Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Charles Peter Mayiga, has strongly condemned the arrest and alleged mistreatment of Edward Ssebufu, popularly known as Eddie Mutwe, the head of security for opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine).
In a statement issued on Monday, Mayiga criticized what he described as unlawful detention, saying Mutwe was being targeted for “growing a long beard” and “not knowing Runyakore.” He stressed that only the Uganda Police has the constitutional mandate to arrest and prosecute individuals accused of crimes.
“Only the police are authorized to arrest suspects. If Eddie Mutwe committed any offense, I ask the Chief of Defence Forces to hand him over to the police. We must uphold the law,” Mayiga said.
Eddie Mutwe was reportedly abducted in Kiwango village, Mukono District, by men in Special Forces Command (SFC) uniforms driving a Toyota van. According to Bobi Wine, the armed group forcefully took Mutwe without a warrant.
Last week, Gen. Muhoozi, the Chief of Defence Forces, claimed Mutwe was in military custody learning to speak Runyakore. This explanation has drawn outrage from the opposition and civil society.
David Lewis Rubongoya, Secretary General of the National Unity Platform (NUP), accused the regime of reviving tactics used ahead of the 2021 elections—namely abductions and detentions meant to disrupt and weaken the opposition.
“This is a repeat of what we saw before the 2021 elections. Arresting our comrades is part of a strategy to destabilize NUP and exhaust our resources,” Rubongoya said.
Mayiga warned that arbitrary arrests, violence against journalists, and threats to citizens would only deepen national tensions and erode trust in public institutions.
The incident has sparked fresh concerns about political repression and the militarization of Uganda’s law enforcement, particularly in the run-up to the 2026 general elections.
