Former Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura has condemned the renewed arrest of opposition figure Muwanga Kivumbi, pushing back against public reactions that appeared to fault the former legislator for his own ordeal.
Kivumbi was reportedly arrested on Friday at a roadblock in Mpigi District, just hours after being released on bail by the High Court.
His re-arrest has triggered criticism from opposition leaders, who describe the move as part of a broader crackdown on dissent.
In a social media statement on Friday, July 10, Nyanjura expressed frustration at sections of the public she accused of normalising state actions against critics. She questioned claims that Kivumbi’s remarks had justified his arrest, urging Ugandans to critically examine the situation.
“Ugandans never cease to amuse and annoy me at the same time. We have truly been subdued,” she said. “Now I see some people blaming Hon Muwanga Kivumbi and saying he invited his own arrest. Show me the lies in whatever Kivumbi said.”
Her remarks come amid growing debate online and within political circles, where some commentators suggested that Kivumbi’s outspoken criticism of the government had contributed to his latest arrest.
However, Nyanjura rejected that position, warning that such arguments risk legitimising restrictions on free expression. She argued that citizens should not be intimidated into silence over fear of arrest.
“You seem to be suggesting that we should all keep quiet and say nothing — that we should not speak up against the regime’s excesses,” she stated.
“You seem to agree with the narrative that only they have the right to offend, only they have the right to be offended, but the rest of us don’t.”
The former city leader’s comments highlight widening divisions within the public discourse in Uganda, particularly on the limits of political speech and state authority.