In brief
Erias Lukwago, the former mayor of Kampala and attorney for opposition figure Kizza Besigye, was detained and charged with failing to report treason following an arrest at his home. He denied the charge and was remanded until his case is heard next week. The arrest came after Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s army chief, boasted on social media about taking Lukwago. Besigye, a long‑time rival of President Yoweri Museveni, has been imprisoned on treason charges since late 2024. Political activists have condemned the move and called for broader resistance against perceived impunity.
Erias Lukwago, a former mayor of Kampala and the lawyer for opposition politician Kizza Besigye, was arrested at his home earlier this week and subsequently charged with a treason‑related offence.
Lukwago appeared before a magistrate’s court in Kampala looking visibly weak. He denied the accusation of failure to report treason and was remanded in custody until the case is heard next week.
The arrest followed a tweet by Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba – the army chief and son of President Yoweri Museveni – who boasted about the seizure and posted photos of an allegedly blindfolded Lukwago.
Kizza Besigye, a long‑time rival of Museveni who was abducted in Kenya and returned to Uganda for trial, has been imprisoned on treason charges since late 2024.
Opposition activist Bobby Wine said Lukwago was taken at the behest of Kainerugaba as he was set to serve a summons on the military chief. He called for resistance to “brazen impunity” on X.
Lukwago’s family sought a court order to disclose his whereabouts, asserting that security forces had abducted him and were holding him “dead or alive”.
