The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has issued a release order directing the Chief of Defense Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) to release Edward Rogers Ssebufu, commonly known as Eddie Mutwe, with immediate effect.
The directive was issued on Friday, May 2, 2025, by UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya. She stated that the Commission is satisfied that Ssebufu is being unlawfully detained or restricted and, therefore, ordered Gen. Kainerugaba and the UPDF to facilitate his immediate release.
Wangadya warned that failure to comply could constitute contempt of the Commission under Article 53(1)(d) of the Constitution.
The order follows Gen. Kainerugaba’s public admission on Thursday evening that Ssebufu, the chief civilian bodyguard of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi (popularly known as Bobi Wine), is currently in his custody. In a controversial statement, Gen. Kainerugaba claimed that Mutwe was “in his basement, learning Runyankore.”
The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, condemned the General’s comments and actions, accusing him of promoting criminality.
Ssenyonyi referenced a social media post in which Kainerugaba reportedly shared a photo of a stripped and injured Ssebufu, calling it a celebration of abduction and torture.
Muwanga Kivumbi Muhammad, NUP Deputy President for the Central Region and Member of Parliament for Butambala County, echoed the criticism, stating that Gen. Kainerugaba is not above the law and should face prosecution for the illegal detention of a citizen.
David Lewis Rubongoya, NUP Secretary General, welcomed the UHRC’s decision.
“I’m glad the UHRC has taken a bold step in this matter. Hopefully, they will rise to the occasion in other human rights violation cases. Whether or not the criminal regime respects this order, the record has been set,” he stated.
According to Ssenyonyi, Ssebufu was abducted on Sunday evening in Mukono by armed men traveling in an unmarked van, commonly referred to as a “drone.”
He warned that the ongoing erosion of the rule of law in Uganda should alarm all citizens.
Earlier this week, NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi announced that the party’s legal team had filed a habeas corpus petition demanding that the state produce Eddie Mutwe dead or alive.
