Former Leader of the Opposition Winnie Kiiza has condemned the arrest of National Unity Platform (NUP) Buganda Region President Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, describing it as part of a deliberate campaign to target and silence critics of the regime.
Kiiza said the arrest follows a familiar pattern used against outspoken government critics.
“This is a repeat of a dirty script targeting solid regime critics. They paint you as an enemy of your own people, attack them, then spin the narrative through the media until it becomes believable — deliberately isolating you by denying you public support, which is often the only strength you have,” Kiiza said.
She added that authorities then rely on trumped-up charges to justify prolonged detention.
“Few, if any, will believe you are innocent. All this is an effort to eliminate regime critics under the guise of ‘protecting the people’,” she noted.
Kiiza drew parallels with similar incidents across the country, where victims were first attacked and later charged as suspects.
“We have seen the same script played out in Kasese, Kampala, Masaka, and now Butambala. Hon. Kivumbi is not a criminal. He is another target of the state’s dirty politics, which is unfortunate and unacceptable,” she said.
She also cited a local saying to illustrate what she described as a deliberate effort to silence dissent.
“The Baganda would call it, ‘okumusibako amatu g’embuzi kumulisa ng’oyo’,” Kiiza remarked.
Muwanga Kivumbi was arrested at his home in Buwaate on Thursday morning and remains in police custody, awaiting appearance in court.
According to police, Kivumbi was arrested in connection with election-related violence in Butambala, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of an unspecified number of people.
His arrest follows the recent detention of two other NUP regional deputy presidents: Lina Zedriga Waru of Northern Uganda and Jolly Jacklyn Tukamusha of Western Uganda.
