Activist and academic Stella Nyanzi has sharply criticised the arrest and charging of Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi, describing the move as part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures in Uganda.
In a strongly worded statement shared on X, Nyanzi accused the state of using treason charges to silence leaders who challenge what she termed an entrenched and militarised system of governance.
She argued that opposition politicians are being criminalised for resisting corruption and abuse of power, rather than for committing genuine offences.
Nyanzi claimed that Kivumbi’s arrest places him among a growing list of dissenting voices facing prosecution and detention.
She painted a grim picture of prison conditions, alleging congestion, poor sanitation, and mistreatment of political detainees.
According to her, the justice system has been compromised, with courts allegedly operating under political pressure.
Quoting Kivumbi’s remarks before the Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court, Nyanzi highlighted his assertion that he had shifted from being “a mourning victim” to an accused person, a statement she framed as emblematic of the wider struggle faced by opposition leaders.
Kivumbi, a vocal critic of the government and a legislator known for his advocacy on governance and accountability, was presented in court following his arrest.