Edward Ssebufu, famously known as Eddie Mutwe and the chief civilian bodyguard to National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), has allegedly been abducted by armed men in Mukono, according to opposition leaders.
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, confirmed on Sunday that Mutwe was seized by unidentified armed operatives who bundled him into a “drone” van at Kiwango village.
“The continuous breakdown of the rule of law in Uganda should concern all right-thinking people,” Mr. Ssenyonyi said.
Robert Kyagulanyi, who has already declared his intention to challenge President Museveni again in the 2026 elections, also condemned the abduction. By press time, the Uganda Police Force had not issued any statement regarding Mutwe’s disappearance.
Mutwe has faced several arrests in the past and has been charged with offenses including treason and illegal possession of ammunition—charges NUP insists are politically motivated.
Enforced disappearances and violent arrests of opposition supporters are not new in Uganda. During and after the 2021 general elections, many NUP supporters went missing, only to reappear in military courts or abandoned in remote areas bearing signs of torture.
In a related development, police have moved to block NUP’s weekly press conference scheduled for Monday, April 28, 2025, at the party’s headquarters in Kampala.
In a statement posted on their X (formerly Twitter) platform, police cited the need to maintain public order as the reason for halting the event, which was intended to launch a “youth protest vote” mobilisation campaign.
“The Uganda Police Force has come across an announcement regarding the planned launch of the youth protest vote, scheduled for Monday, 28 April 2025, at the National Unity Platform Headquarters. UPF hereby notifies the organisers and all concerned parties that the proposed launch, along with any associated activities, will not be permitted,” part of the police statement read.
Bobi Wine reacted strongly to the police decision, accusing them of double standards.
“The partisan regime police is moving to block our weekly press conference slated for tomorrow, at which we had planned to launch our mobilisation for the forthcoming youth elections. We condemn and protest these double standards in the strongest terms possible, and call upon all Ugandans to firmly resist them!” Kyagulanyi posted on X.
