Anger as Uganda president's son says he's holding opposition bodyguard
Edward Sebuufu, alias Eddie Mutwe, was reportedly picked up on Sunday by unidentified individuals in both civilian clothes and military fatigues in the central town of Kiwango, sparking public outrage.
In a series of posts on X, Gen Kainerugabai, who is also Uganda's military chief, said Mr Sebuufu was "in my basement", attaching the bodyguard's photo with a clean-shaven head.
Gen Kainerugabai's remarks have sparked public anger with Ugandans using the hashtag #FreeEddieMutwe to demand Mr Sebuufu's release and condemn his detention.
Gen Kainerugaba frequently makes political comments, which his critics say contravenes the military's code of discipline.
The 51-year-old army general is seen as a possible successor to his long-serving father, Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, who has denied that he is grooming his son for the presidency.
Muhoozi Kainerugaba - Uganda's ambitious tweeting general
Gen Kainerugaba has made many controversial statements on social media, touching on subjects considered taboo for a serving soldier.
In 2022, he made headlines for discussing an invasion of neighbouring Kenya, a comment that forced his father to step in and apologise.
He recently sparked anger with a tweet in which he threatened to behead opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
Late on Thursday, he sparked another social media storm after he published a photo of Mr Sebuufu, Bobi Wine's bodyguard, appearing half-naked and clean shaved.
Bobi Wine said Mr Sebuufu was on Sunday "violently abducted" from Kiwango by armed men travelling in a police van, popularly known as "drone", before he was whisked to an unknown place.
In a series of posts, Gen Kainerugaba said his soldiers had captured Mr Sebuufu "liked a grasshopper" and he was learning Runyankore, a language spoken in western Uganda, while in custody.
He said Mr Sebuufu was "looking very smart these days" after his beard was shaved by "my boy", referring to his junior soldiers.
The general said he would only release the bodyguard if ordered to do so by his father, President Museveni.
Gen Kainerugaba did not explicitly state where Mr Sebuufu was being held, or on what legal charges.
Security forces are yet to comment on the matter but police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke on Monday told local media that he was not aware of Mr Sebuufu being held in any police station.
Opposition officials and social media users in Uganda have demanded the bodyguard be produced in court if he is in lawful custody.
Bobi Wine has called for a "solidarity" rally on Friday in the capital Kampala, accusing Gen Kainerugaba for "illegally holding, torturing, and dehumanizing" his bodyguard.
"This is a non-partisan opportunity to unite. Friends of Eddie and other Ugandans of good conscience, let us come together in solidarity not just with Eddie but all political prisoners!," Bobi Wine posted on X.
In a statement, the Uganda Law Society has called for the immediate release of the bodyguard, saying his ordeal was not an isolated case but "part of a systematic campaign to silence dissent and crush the aspirations of people yearning for freedom".
The society feared that the reported involvement of the army in the matter "underscores a dangerous nexus of military power and political oppression".
Mr Sebuufu, who is in charge of Bobi Wine's personal security detail, has been arrested several times and charged with various offences, including treason and illegal possession of ammunition. The opposition says his arrests and charges are politically motivated.
He has been a key target in several security crackdowns on opposition activities, especially during elections and mobilisation campaigns, local media reported.
Bobi Wine, a popular singer who has declared his intention to challenge President Museveni for the second time in the 2026 elections, has often been prevented from holding political rallies.
There are growing concerns about the targeting of opposition figures and supporters by security agencies as political mobilisation intensifies ahead of the elections.
How a Ugandan opposition leader disappeared in Kenya and ended up in military court
Social media ban in Uganda raises questions over regulation in Africa
TikToker jailed for 32 months for insulting Uganda's president
Top designer vows to regrow dreadlocks cut after Uganda arrest
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Africa Daily
Focus on Africa
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
11-07-2025
- Business Insider
U.S. crackdown on birth-related travel gains support as Uganda warns citizens
The United States' efforts to curb ' birth tourism ' is gaining traction internationally, with Uganda publicly backing the policy and cautioning its citizens against such travel. The United States is intensifying efforts to address 'birth tourism' and received support from Uganda regarding the policy. The U.S. government has raised concerns about misuse of temporary visa categories to facilitate such practices. Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued warnings to its citizens against traveling for birth tourism due to potential visa application denials. Birth tourism, the practice of traveling to give birth in order to secure citizenship for a child, has drawn harsh policies from the Trump administration, with Uganda also backing the move by warning its citizens against the act. While birthright citizenship remains protected under the U.S. Constitution, the Trump administration has been vocal about its opposition to what it views as 'loophole' practices, especially when facilitated through temporary visa categories. Last week, the United States (US) Mission in Uganda issued a statement condemning 'birth tourism,' describing it as 'unpermitted' under U.S. immigration policy. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the U.S. Mission stated: 'Consular officers will deny visa applications if they have reason to believe the applicant intends to travel for childbirth to secure U.S. citizenship for their child.' Uganda aligns with U.S. on birth-related travel In a statement aligned with Washington's position, Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a warning to citizens intending to travel to the United States primarily for childbirth, cautioning that such actions could result in visa denials. The ministry emphasized that the U.S. expects home governments to take responsibility in educating their citizens about 'known fraudulent behavior.' ' When planning to visit the U.S., your motive must be clear; a tourist visa is intended to be just that,' the ministry said in a Public Service Announcement, which was corroborated by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Vincent Bagiire as per Uganda's Monitor According to the announcement, 'traveling to the U.S. for the sole purpose of giving birth on U.S. territory is not allowed, and if suspected of such action, your visa application will be denied.' It further stated: 'Falsification of information to obtain a U.S. or any other visa is wrong and leads to automatic denial of your application. Ugandans should be informed that they will be found out and will face negative consequences for such actions.' Uganda's move to echo the U.S. position marks a notable moment of policy alignment, particularly at a time when U.S. immigration enforcement is tightening under President Donald Trump's administration.
Fox News
08-07-2025
- Fox News
New York Times executive editor praises Mamdani college application report amid liberal outrage
New York Times executive editor Joe Kahn defended the paper's unflattering report about Zohran Mamdani on Monday despite widespread backlash from liberal readers. The Times irked supporters of the socialist New York City mayoral candidate last week by reporting that he checked off that he was both "Asian" and "Black or African American" on his 2009 college application to Columbia University. Mamdani, who is of Indian descent and was born in Uganda, confirmed he was "trying to capture the fullness" of his background because "most college applications don't have a box for Indian-Ugandans." Liberal readers blasted the Times for going out of its way to make Mamdani's college application a story and for relying on a source only identified by an anonymous social media username, whom the Times described as "an academic who opposes affirmative action." Backlash was so intense that Patrick Healy, the paper's assistant managing editor for Standards and Trust, issued a lengthy statement on the Fourth of July, justifying the news value of the report. Kahn, who was promoted from managing editor to the top job in 2022, praised the report during a Monday daily news meeting, Fox News Digital has confirmed. Legal scholar Jonathan Turley examined the backlash to the Times report. "The New York Times experienced an uprising in its ranks and among its readers. The paper was denounced by its own staff and liberal pundits called for the entire editorial staff to be canned. Why? Because The New York Times actually reported news that was deemed harmful to the Democrats, specifically Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani," Turley wrote. "For liberals, it was an utter nightmare. For a party still defined by identity politics, Mamdani's false claim over his race left many uncertain about how to react," Turley added. "The left has always maintained a high degree of tolerance for false claims by its own leaders, from Sen. Elizabeth Warren claiming to be a Native American to Sen. Richard Blumenthal claiming to have served in the Vietnam War." Among the outspoken critics of the report was ex-MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, who believes the Gray Lady is "campaigning against Mamdani." "Utter failure," Olbermann wrote. "Then again, if you don't realize NYT is perceived as actively campaigning against Mamdani, you're all lost anyway." Times columnist Lydia Polgreen sympathized with Mamdani, writing on X, "I can see why a political young man like Zohran might fill out his college application the way he did. Because if you are like me, you struggle to be known in this country. Our visual sorting is so simplistic and quite brutal." Mamdani has said he identifies as "an American who was born in Africa," and stated that checking multiple boxes was an effort to reflect his "complex background," not to gain an advantage in the competitive admissions process. He was ultimately not accepted to Columbia even though his father was a professor at the elite school.
San Francisco Chronicle
08-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Behind bars, Ugandan opposition figure Besigye launches a new political party
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The party of opposition figure Kizza Besigye was launched in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on Tuesday, with its jailed leader behind bars for alleged treason. Supporters at the event carried a framed portrait of Besigye, who was expected to address the launch of his People's Front for Freedom, either by video conference or through a written message. Prosecutors cite treason, a crime that carries the death penalty in the east African country. They say Besigye solicited military support overseas to destabilize national security. Besigye's attorneys and followers say the charges are politically motivated, calculated to remove him from political contestation over Uganda's future after Museveni, who is 80. Besigye has been repeatedly denied bail even as his attorneys cite his poor health. Uganda's next presidential election is set for January 2026. Museveni, who first took power by force in 1986, has declared his candidacy in a presidential bid that, if successful, would bring him closer to a half-century in power. The opposition figure known as Bobi Wine will also be a candidate, reprising their contest in the 2021 election. It remains unclear if the jailed Besigye will be on the ballot. Lawmaker Ibrahim Ssemujju, a spokesman for the People's Front for Freedom, told reporters on the eve of the party's launch that Besigye was jailed 'for no crime committed but because it gives Mr. Museveni and his son gratification that Besigye is in jail, that they have conquered him." 'I think they may even throw a party to celebrate,' he charged. 'But Dr. Besigye will speak to us as our leader, leader of our party but also leader of our struggles.' Museveni's son, army chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has accused Besigye of plotting to kill his father, and once said the opposition figure should be hanged. Kainerugaba has repeatedly asserted his wish to succeed his father in the presidency, raising fears of hereditary rule in Uganda. Museveni has said Besigye must answer for 'the very serious offenses he is alleged to have been planning," and has called for 'a quick trial so that facts come out.' Many Ugandans expect an unpredictable political transition from Museveni, who has no obvious successor within the ranks of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. Real power is concentrated in the military and intelligence apparatus. Besigye, a physician who retired from Uganda's military at the rank of colonel, is a former president of the Forum for Democratic Change party, for many years Uganda's most prominent opposition group. He has long been a fierce critic of Museveni, for whom he once served as a military assistant and personal doctor.
