NUP Diaspora Team Leader Dr Daniel Kawuma has welcomed the release of former Butambala MP and National Unity Platform (NUP) Deputy President for Buganda, Muwanga Kivumbi, after months of detention and renewed legal proceedings.
Kawuma said Kivumbi’s return home was a welcome development but maintained that his release should be followed by accountability over the circumstances surrounding his detention and the allegations facing him.
In a statement, Kawuma said the NUP Diaspora Team welcomed Kivumbi back while calling for justice to be pursued without delay.
“Justice must not be delayed,” Kawuma said, arguing that Kivumbi’s case should be viewed within the broader political and security environment that followed Uganda’s January 15, 2026 elections.
Kawuma alleged that security forces had raided Kivumbi’s home on January 15 and accused them of killing 10 members of his campaign team. He further alleged that the operation was carried out on the orders of Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces.
The allegations have not been independently established in the statement, and Kawuma called for a credible and independent investigation into the deaths and other alleged violations.
Kivumbi has faced multiple cases since his arrest. He was previously granted bail by the High Court in a separate case before being arrested again after his release and subsequently facing fresh charges.
The latest proceedings resulted in another grant of bail, allowing the opposition politician to leave custody while continuing to defend himself against the charges.
Kawuma criticised what he described as a pattern of opposition politicians and government critics spending extended periods in detention, arguing that political disagreements should not result in prolonged incarceration.
He also drew parallels between Kivumbi’s case and that of human rights activist Praise Aloikin, who, according to Kawuma, remains on remand at Luzira Prison over charges he described as weak.
Kawuma alleged that Aloikin’s arrest was connected to her criticism of the conduct of security forces and Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Those claims remain allegations from the NUP Diaspora Team and have not been independently established.
The NUP Diaspora leader also called on Uganda’s international partners to scrutinise reports of serious human rights violations and ensure that their engagement with Uganda supports the protection of human rights and democratic institutions.
While celebrating Kivumbi’s release, Kawuma said the development should not mark the end of calls for accountability.
“Hon. Muwanga Kivumbi is home. But justice for Uganda is not yet home,” he said.