Muwanga Kivumbi arrested over Butambala violence

Police have arrested Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, the Butambala County legislator and vice president of the National Unity Platform for Buganda, over recent election-related violence in the district.

In a statement issued on Thursday morning, the Uganda Police Force said it had taken Kivumbi into custody. It said he will appear in court later.

“The Uganda Police Force confirms the arrest of the Butambala County legislator, Hon Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi. He is in police custody and will be arraigned before court in due course,” police said. It linked the arrest to “recent incidents of political violence in Butambala”.

The statement followed reports from NUP officials and supporters that security officers picked up Kivumbi at about 6:50 a.m. They said they did not know where he had been taken.

His arrest comes as tensions remain high after a deadly clash in Butambala during last week’s general elections. Several people died in unclear circumstances.

On Sunday, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni spoke about the incident while receiving the official presidential results at Rwakitura. He accused opposition-linked groups of planning violent attacks after losing at the polls.

“In Butambala, a character called Kivumbi was defeated. Then they planned that where NUP is defeated, gangs with pangas should attack the polling station,” Museveni said. He added that seven people were shot dead when security forces responded.

Museveni warned against political extremism. He said the government would not tolerate violence. He urged all Ugandans to help keep the peace.

Kivumbi has rejected the president’s claims. Before his arrest, he said security officers raided his home at night while vote tallying was still going on. He said they shot dead members of his campaign team inside his house.

“They were killed inside my house. They weren’t even on the road. They were looking for me,” Kivumbi said. He added that several people fled as security officers stormed the home. Videos taken the next morning showed bullet holes in doors and walls.

Police dismissed that account. Katonga region police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe said officers were responding to chaos earlier in the day. She cited alleged attacks on a tally centre and a police station by opposition supporters.

Police say seven people died.

Official results show that Kivumbi lost the Butambala County parliamentary race to journalist Eriasa Mukiibi.

Opposition leaders have condemned Kivumbi’s arrest. They have renewed calls for an independent probe into the killings. Authorities say the arrest forms part of ongoing investigations into election violence in the district.