The Uganda Police Force has denied arresting or detaining National Unity Platform (NUP) Deputy President for Buganda and Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, despite widely circulated videos showing him being intercepted by uniformed security personnel at a police checkpoint in Mpigi District.
In an affidavit filed before the High Court Civil Division in response to Kivumbi’s application for a writ of habeas corpus, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Godwin Tumugumye, on behalf of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), maintained that the legislator is not in police custody.
“I know that the Applicant was not arrested by officers under the command or supervision of the Inspector General of Police, nor is there any record indicating any operation involving the arrest or detention of the Applicant by the Uganda Police Force,” ACP Tumugumye stated in the affidavit.
While acknowledging that Kivumbi’s vehicle was stopped at a police checkpoint, the police insisted that he was neither arrested nor detained.
“Whereas it is true that the Applicant’s motor vehicle was stopped at a Police checkpoint, he was not arrested, abducted or detained by the Uganda Police Force,” the affidavit states.
ACP Tumugumye further told the court that inquiries conducted across relevant police units and stations found no record indicating that Kivumbi is, or has ever been, held by the Uganda Police Force.
“There is no record under the control of the Uganda Police Force confirming that the Applicant is or has ever been detained by the Uganda Police Force,” he said.
The police also dismissed claims circulating on social media regarding Kivumbi’s whereabouts, arguing that such posts do not constitute evidence that he is in police custody.
According to the affidavit, Kivumbi failed to provide documentary or testimonial evidence demonstrating that the Inspector General of Police is unlawfully detaining him, a key legal requirement for the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus.
ACP Tumugumye asked the High Court to dismiss the application against the Inspector General of Police with costs, arguing that a writ of habeas corpus can only be granted where there is credible evidence that the respondent is unlawfully holding a person.
However, Kivumbi’s lawyers maintain that the opposition legislator was seized by security personnel at a checkpoint along the Kampala–Masaka Highway in Mpigi shortly after he was granted bail by the High Court.
Videos shared on social media appeared to show uniformed security personnel surrounding Kivumbi’s vehicle before he was driven away. His whereabouts have remained unknown since the incident.
The High Court is expected to determine the habeas corpus application seeking orders compelling security agencies to produce Kivumbi before court or explain his whereabouts.
Kivumbi has now been missing for 11 days, after reportedly disappearing a day after his release on bail.
The NUP deputy president had spent 169 days on remand over charges arising from the violence that followed the January 16, 2026 General Election in Butambala District, in which more than seven people were killed.
His latest disappearance came less than 24 hours after regaining his freedom. While some observers have speculated that comments he made to journalists following his release may have contributed to his subsequent interception, no official explanation has been provided by the security agencies regarding his whereabouts.
