BUTAMBALA, Uganda — Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi has been arrested in connection with deadly post-election violence in Butambala District that left at least seven people dead.
According to Lydia Tumushabe, the Katonga Region police spokesperson, Kivumbi was taken into custody and is currently being held by police. Tumushabe said the lawmaker is expected to be presented before court in due course. Authorities say the arrest is linked to recent incidents of political violence reported in Butambala following the January 15 general elections.
The violence, now widely referred to as the Butambala killings, erupted on the night of Jan. 15 and the early hours of Jan. 16, shortly after parliamentary results showed Kivumbi, a member of the National Unity Platform, had lost his seat to Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi. The clashes occurred in Butambala town, about 55 kilometers southwest of Kampala.
Security agencies say groups of opposition supporters armed with machetes attempted to attack a vote-tallying center and a nearby police station. Police and other security forces responded by opening fire, killing seven people and arresting at least 25 others. Officials insist the use of force was necessary to prevent the destruction of public facilities and loss of more lives.
Kivumbi has strongly disputed the official version of events. He has said security forces raided his home at around 3 a.m. while members of his campaign team were inside tallying votes. He claims that several of his supporters were shot dead at his residence, describing the incident as a massacre. Videos he shared online appeared to show bullet holes in doors and broken windows. Police have denied carrying out any raid on his home and say all deaths occurred near public installations during the alleged attack.
Museveni addressed the Butambala incident during a post-election address at his Rwakitura residence, accusing Kivumbi and sections of the opposition of organizing what he called terrorist acts after losing at the polls. He said intelligence reports had warned of planned violence in several areas and defended the actions of security forces, saying they acted to protect public order. He warned that those involved in armed violence would face tough consequences.
Police and other state agencies have largely backed the president’s position. Tumushabe said the attackers were organized groups targeting security installations and rejected claims that civilians were killed in a private residence. The army said it worked with other agencies to maintain order during the elections. The Electoral Commission of Uganda did not issue a direct statement on Butambala but proceeded with declaring Museveni the winner, signaling the government’s view that the violence was isolated.
The arrest of Kivumbi has heightened political tension and drawn concern from opposition figures and rights groups, who are calling for an independent investigation into the killings. So far, three of the NUP’s Deputy Presidents have been arrested i.e., Dr. Lina Zedriga Waru Abuku of Northern and Jackline Jolly Tukamushaba of Western as the President, Robert Kyagulanyi remains in hiding.
As Uganda enters the post-election phase, the Butambala case has become a focal point of the wider debate over security, accountability and political freedoms. While the government maintains that the killings resulted from a lawful security response, critics say the arrest of an opposition MP underscores deeper questions about the use of state power in times of political contestation.
