National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has weighed in on the arrest and arraignment of veteran journalist and political analyst Tim Kalyegira, intensifying public debate over the case and broader concerns about civil liberties in Uganda.
Kalyegira, a longtime government critic, was on Monday remanded to prison after appearing before the Kira Magistrates Court on charges related to computer misuse.
His court appearance followed days of uncertainty after he went missing last week, prompting alarm among family, colleagues, and residents of his neighborhood.
In a statement shared on social media, Bobi Wine alleged that Kalyegira’s arrest was not lawful but rather an enforced disappearance.
“It turns out that journalist and media personality Tim Kalyegira, who has been missing, was actually abducted, held incommunicado, and is now being arraigned for charging,” he said.
“Simply because he's been outspoken about Museveni and his son's crimes.”
The opposition leader linked the incident to what he described as a growing pattern of targeting critics of the government, warning that public silence has enabled such actions.
“We got to this point because everyone thought that someone else would fix it,” he added. “Hopefully everyone now realises the collective danger and the collective duty. Only then shall we be free.”
Kalyegira’s arrest has drawn significant attention, partly due to his final social media post made on June 24, in which he suggested that influential economic actors in Uganda hold the power to end what he described as a political and constitutional crisis.
The post has since resurfaced widely online, with some observers questioning whether it may have contributed to his legal troubles.
Earlier reports indicated that Kalyegira had not been seen since Thursday or Friday last week, with his phone switched off.
A message circulated among residents of Butenga Estate in Kira raised concern about his disappearance, noting that his family had been informed and that efforts were underway to trace him.
Journalists and rights advocates have continued to follow developments closely, with some calling for transparency regarding the circumstances of his arrest and detention.