The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has publicly defended the arrest of Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, issuing a statement on n X that has intensified political tensions across the country.
In remarks shared on Thursday, Muhoozi addressed growing public concern over Lukwago’s detention, particularly claims circulating online that the opposition figure was being held in a private facility.
The CDF dismissed criticism and asserted his authority, stating that his position grants him broad powers to detain individuals, including political opponents.
“Those who ask me how I can arrest Lukwago and keep him in my basement? I answer that as CDF I have every right to arrest anyone especially members of the opposition,” Muhoozi said.
He went further, vowing to sustain pressure on opposition actors, declaring that he would “continue to crush them until no one will remember who they were.”
The remarks have sparked sharp reactions from legal experts, civil society actors, and opposition leaders, who argue that such statements undermine constitutional protections and due process.
Critics contend that the military has no mandate to arrest civilians outside clearly defined legal frameworks, raising concerns about the erosion of the rule of law.
Lukwago’s arrest has already drawn widespread attention, with opposition supporters describing it as politically motivated.
His legal team has indicated plans to challenge the circumstances of his detention in court, citing violations of his rights.
Government officials, however, have largely remained silent on the specifics of the case, leaving Muhoozi’s statements as the most direct explanation from the state