Uganda: Muwanga Kivumbi Charged with Inciting Violence

• Ugandan authorities charged Muwanga Kivumbi with inciting violence based on a speech he made criticizing President Museveni's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
• Kivumbi was previously arrested in January and released on bail in July, but was re-arrested on July 10, 2026, and held incommunicado for 19 days before being formally charged on July 29, 2026.
• Human Rights Watch has reported a pattern of abusive prosecutions by the Ugandan authorities against government critics and opposition politicians.
• Kivumbi alleges that he was tortured during his detention, including being blindfolded, kicked, and beaten until he bled from his head.

The charges against Kivumbi are part of a broader pattern of abusive prosecutions by the Ugandan authorities.

Ugandan authorities have brought charges against Muwanga Kivumbi, a deputy president of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda's main opposition party. The charges stem from a speech Kivumbi made to his supporters in Butambala on July 9, 2026, where he criticized President Museveni's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for engaging in politics as a military officer. This is not the first time Kivumbi has faced charges; he was initially arrested on January 22 alongside scores of other NUP supporters and held until his release on bail in July. The authorities had accused him of orchestrating a violent attack on a police station and electoral commission tally center, causing damage to roads and vehicles that resulted in the deaths of seven people. Kivumbi rejected these allegations, stating that security forces had raided his home on election day and killed several members of his campaign team.

The charges against Kivumbi are part of a broader pattern of abusive prosecutions by the Ugandan authorities. Human Rights Watch has reported that the military has arbitrarily seized and held incommunicado several government critics, including opposition politicians, before handing them over to courts for prosecution. This tactic is used to harass and target critics and opposition figures, rather than ensuring accountability for human rights abuses. The organization has called on the Ugandan authorities to end these malicious prosecutions and instead investigate the circumstances of killings and other rights abuses in the country.

Kivumbi has alleged that he was tortured during his detention, including being blindfolded, kicked, and beaten until he bled from his head. A witness who saw Kivumbi upon his release reported scars on his head, arms, legs, and back, consistent with the allegations of torture. The Ugandan authorities have a history of using abusive tactics against critics and opposition figures, including arbitrary arrests, detention, and prosecution. Human Rights Watch has called for an urgent and impartial investigation into these allegations and for those responsible to be held accountable.

Lawyers should watch for the Ugandan authorities' pattern of using abusive prosecutions to target government critics and opposition politicians, which may indicate a broader compliance exposure for companies operating in Uganda.

Source: Original reporting via Human Rights Watch