BERLIN, Germany — Former Uganda People’s Defence Forces intelligence officer Lt. Herbert Matanda Mabonga is in Berlin after leaving Uganda, with writer and government critic Kakwenza Rukirabashaija publicly welcoming him at the Brandenburg Gate.
Kakwenza shared a photograph of Mabonga on Wednesday, Oct. 14, with the message, “We welcome Lt. Mabonga to Berlin, Deutschland.” The post confirms Mabonga’s presence in Germany, although his immigration or asylum status has not been publicly confirmed.
Mabonga came into the spotlight in late September after releasing a roughly 30 minute video and documents in which he made serious allegations against Uganda’s security agencies.
In the video, presented as a “State of Nation Address on Governance, Security Intelligence, Corruption and Human Rights,” Mabonga identified himself as a former intelligence officer attached to the Defence Intelligence and Security Headquarters in Mbuya.
He alleged that security agencies operate secret detention facilities, commonly referred to as safe houses, including a facility in the Entebbe area near Abayita Ababiri that he linked to the Special Forces Command.
Mabonga accused security personnel of arbitrary arrests, abductions, enforced disappearances, prolonged detention and torture of opposition figures, activists and other Ugandans.
He also released footage he claimed showed opposition activist Sam Mugumya and former Butambala MP Muwanga Kivumbi in detention. Mabonga alleged that Mugumya had been tortured and left with severe physical disabilities.
The allegations could not be independently verified. The location, dates and circumstances surrounding the footage and documents have also remained unclear.
The UPDF strongly rejected the allegations.
In a statement issued Oct. 1, Acting Director of Defence Public Information Col. Chris Magezi described Mabonga as a deserter and dismissed the material attributed to him as “a pile of unsubstantiated rubbish” involving what the army called forgeries, doctored images and fabricated claims.
The army said Mabonga had previously served as a junior officer under the Chieftaincy of Defence Intelligence and Security before being transferred to the Mountain Infantry Division headquarters in Fort Portal for reassignment.
The UPDF initially said the transfer took place in April 2026 but later corrected the date to November 2025. According to the army, Mabonga failed to report to the new station and was eventually declared a deserter.
Magezi also accused Mabonga of separate offences, including allegedly extorting money from business groups and individuals in Kampala and elsewhere, fraudulent land transactions and forgery of land titles.
The UPDF said Mabonga would be arrested and brought before military justice. It did not publicly provide detailed evidence or identify the alleged victims in those cases. The allegations remain unproven in court.
Mabonga’s move to Germany now places him alongside other prominent Ugandan critics who have lived in the country after leaving Uganda.
Kakwenza has lived in Germany since 2022 after fleeing Uganda following arrests and charges linked to his writings and criticism of President Yoweri Museveni and Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Academic and activist Stella Nyanzi is also among Ugandans who have lived in Germany after leaving the country. She participated in a writers in exile program after her imprisonment in Uganda over a poem critical of Museveni.
Mabonga’s presence in Germany comes as Parliament and opposition groups continue to raise concerns about alleged disappearances, detention and the conduct of security agencies in Uganda.
The UPDF has rejected the allegations against it, while Mabonga has presented himself as a former intelligence officer speaking out about what he claims to have witnessed.
For now, his reported arrival in Germany is confirmed by Kakwenza’s public post, but there is no publicly available official confirmation of an asylum application or its status.
The competing accounts over Mabonga’s allegations remain unresolved, with independent verification of his most serious claims still outstanding.
No part of this publication or its digital content may be reproduced, distributed, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior written permission from Kalisho Info.
For inquiries, contact: kalishoinfo@gmail.com
Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow Kalisho Info for real-time updates and breaking news.
