KAMPALA, Uganda — National Unity Platform (NUP) Deputy President Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi resurfaced at Nateete Police Station on the morning of Wednesday, July 29, after spending nearly three weeks incommunicado following his disappearance shortly after being granted bail on terrorism charges.
His reappearance came on the same day the High Court had directed the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Attorney General to account for his whereabouts and report on investigations into his disappearance.
Justice Collins Acellam had ordered the three government officials to file their report by July 29 after hearing a habeas corpus application filed by Kivumbi’s family and lawyers seeking his production before court and unconditional release.
Kivumbi, a senior NUP official, economist and former Butambala County Member of Parliament, had not been seen since July 10, less than 24 hours after Justice Susan Okalany of the International Crimes Division granted him Shs10 million cash bail.
He had spent about 169 days on remand over terrorism charges arising from alleged post-election violence in Mpigi and Butambala districts during the January 2026 general elections. Prosecutors allege that he and his co-accused orchestrated attacks on a police station and a polling and tally center that left seven people dead. Kivumbi has consistently denied the allegations.
According to eyewitnesses and NUP officials, Kivumbi was intercepted at a joint police and military checkpoint in Mpigi District while traveling from his home area. Armed plainclothes and uniformed personnel reportedly forced him into an unmarked van, commonly referred to as a “drone,” and drove him to an undisclosed location. His family and lawyers said no arrest warrant was presented and that he was denied access to legal counsel, relatives and medical care throughout the period of his disappearance.
In response, his legal team filed a habeas corpus application under the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act.
In an affidavit filed on behalf of Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba, ACP Godwin Tumugumye acknowledged that Kivumbi’s vehicle had been stopped at a checkpoint but maintained that he “was not arrested, abducted or detained by the Uganda Police Force.” Police further stated that inquiries at stations across the country found no record of him being held in custody.
On July 22, Justice Acellam declined to immediately issue a writ of habeas corpus, ruling that such an order would be ineffective without identifying the authority responsible for Kivumbi’s detention. Instead, the court directed the respondents to investigate his whereabouts and submit their findings within seven days.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) also denied holding Kivumbi. In a sworn affidavit, UPDF Director of Civil Affairs Lt. Col. Edgar Musasizi said checks at all gazetted military detention facilities established that Kivumbi “is not and has never been” in military custody. The UPDF asked the court to dismiss the habeas corpus application, describing it as misconceived and an abuse of court process.
Appearing at the High Court on Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi said lawyers representing the Attorney General informed the court that police had obtained a possible lead on Kivumbi’s whereabouts and requested additional time to complete investigations.
At around the same time, NUP officials reported that unidentified state operatives had dropped Kivumbi at Nateete Police Station. When party leaders arrived, some police officers reportedly said he had already been transferred to Butambala, while other accounts indicated he remained at the station.
By Wednesday afternoon, authorities had not issued an official statement explaining where Kivumbi had been held during the nearly three week period, who had detained him, or under what legal authority. His physical condition and whether he would face fresh charges, be released or be returned to court also remained unclear.
The case has attracted international attention. Human Rights Watch described Kivumbi’s disappearance as an enforced disappearance allegedly carried out by soldiers and warned that his detention outside recognized legal procedures placed him at significant risk. Amnesty International similarly condemned the incident and called on authorities to immediately disclose his whereabouts and grant him access to his family, lawyers and medical care.
Kivumbi’s disappearance and subsequent reappearance have renewed scrutiny of Uganda’s use of habeas corpus in cases where state security agencies deny holding a missing person. His return on the very day the High Court expected answers from security agencies has ended uncertainty over his whereabouts but leaves unresolved questions about who detained him, the legality of his disappearance and the accountability of those responsible.
Proceedings in both the terrorism case and the habeas corpus application are expected to continue.
