Latest news with #EddieMutwe
Al Jazeera
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Activist reportedly held by Uganda's military chief shows signs of torture
Justice minister says Eddie Mutwe shows signs of abuse at court appearance, and his lawyer says he was tortured daily. An opposition activist whom Uganda's military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, claimed to have held captive in his basement has appeared in court 'visibly weak' and showing signs of torture, according to the justice minister. Eddie Mutwe, who acts as the chief bodyguard for Uganda's leading opposition figure, Bobi Wine, went missing on April 27 after being grabbed near the capital, Kampala, by armed men, according to Wine's National Unity Platform (NUP) party. Chief of Defence Forces Kainerugaba, longtime President Yoweri Museveni's eldest child, said last week that he had detained Mutwe, writing on X that he had captured him 'like a grasshopper' and was 'using him as a punching bag'. Kainerugaba also alluded to Mutwe being tortured, saying he had beaten him and shaved his head. 'If they keep on provoking us, we shall discipline them even more,' he said of the opposition. Facing robbery charges Mutwe was presented in court on Monday and remanded into custody on robbery charges, his lawyer said. In a statement released late on Monday, Justice Minister Norbert Mao said Mutwe appeared in court 'in a visibly weak condition and showing signs of having been tortured'. 'Bringing illegally detained, brutalised and tortured suspects before the courts of law is an abuse of judicial processes,' said Mao, the leader of an opposition party who was appointed justice minister in 2022. Advertisement Mao did not say who was responsible for Mutwe's condition but called on the courts to deal swiftly with the opposition figure's case. Mutwe's lawyer, Magellan Kazibwe, told reporters outside court on Monday that his client had been tortured daily and electrocuted while being detained. Sign up for Al Jazeera Breaking News Alert Get real-time breaking news alerts and stay up-to-date with the most important headlines from around the globe. Subscribe Your subscription failed. Please try again. Please check your email to confirm your subscription By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy protected by reCAPTCHA He is in my basement. Learning Runyankore. You are next! — Muhoozi Kainerugaba (@mkainerugaba) May 1, 2025 Opposition crackdown The court case comes amid an escalating crackdown on the Ugandan opposition as Wine has been preparing to launch a 'protest vote' campaign in advance of a general election in January. On Friday, Wine – a former singer whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi and who has become Museveni's leading opponent – said on X that security forces had 'just raided and cordoned off our headquarters'. He also condemned the abduction of Mutwe, telling the AFP news agency that it was 'a reminder to the world as to how law and order has broken down in Uganda'. Kainerugaba, who is widely viewed as being groomed to succeed his 80-year-old father, frequently makes incendiary comments on social media and has written on X that he wanted to behead Wine. The Ugandan government has faced international condemnation over the abduction of opposition figures, including veteran leader Kizza Besigye, who was seized in Kenya last year and forcibly returned to face treason charges. Advertisement Museveni, who has ruled since 1986 and plans to seek re-election in January, has denied allegations of human rights abuses. But the Uganda Law Society said the abduction of Mutwe was not an isolated incident. Instead, it is 'part of a systematic campaign to silence dissent and crush the aspirations of young people yearning for freedom', the group said in a statement. The Uganda Human Rights Commission, which is tasked with investigating abuses and monitoring the government's human rights record, said it issued an order on Friday directing the authorities to release Mutwe.
Business Insider
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Uganda president's son challenges Bobi Wine to boxing match as torture allegations trail
The tactless social media banter between the son of Yoweri Museveni, the Ugandan president, and opposition leader Bobi Wine is nothing new, except when accusations of actual torture start to make headlines, which seems to currently be the case. Torture accusations arise in Uganda amidst social media banter between president's son and opposition leader. Opposition member, Eddie Mutwe, allegedly tortured while held captive by president's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Uganda's Justice Minister reveals signs of torture on Mutwe after his appearance in court. According to a Ugandan official, an opposition member who is also the bodyguard of Bobi Wine, held captive by the president's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, appears to have been tortured. This is hardly shocking given that the president's son has openly admitted to holding the individual, Eddie Mutwe captive in his basement, while hinting at toturing him. As is typical with the president's eldest son, who also doubles as the country's Chief of Defence Forces, he has since put out tweets, openly disclosing his intentions, regardless of how unsubtle they may seem. This time, he threatened to endanger the opposition member even more, should Bobbi Wine continue to speak about his family. Following this up, Muhoozi Kainerugaba then proceeded to challenge the opposition leader to a boxing match, which Mr. Wine seemed to have indulged. In light of what some might describe as juvenile banter, Uganda's Justice Minister, as reported by Reuters, revealed that Eddie Mutwe has been tortured. Eddie Mutwe's predicament "Mutwe appeared in court in a visibly weak condition and showing signs of having been tortured," Justice Minister Norbert Mao, revealed on Monday. "Bringing illegally detained, brutalised and tortured suspects before the courts of law is an abuse of judicial processes," Mao added. The Justice Minister, however, refused to mention names connected with Mutwe's current state. Magellan Kazibwe, Mutwe's attorney, told reporters outside the court on Monday that his client had been electrocuted and subjected to daily abuse while in custody. In Janaury, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced his departure from the social media platform X, a week after he sent out a controversial tweet, which read as a threat to his father's political rival, Bobbi Wine. In his farewell tweet to his X followers, the general noted that his decision to quit the platform was motivated by his religion and a renewed commitment to his military duty as a general in the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF). "It is on the instructions and blessings of my Lord Jesus Christ that I leave this social media and dedicate myself to my assignment to bring peace and security to our region," he said at the time.
