Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth-Oboth has directed government leaders to engage security agencies and ensure that Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi is granted access to his family, lawyers and doctors after spending six days in undisclosed custody.
The directive was issued on Wednesday after Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi raised fresh concerns in Parliament over Kivumbi’s whereabouts, saying his family and legal team had been denied access since he was re-arrested.
Ssenyonyi told Parliament that Kivumbi’s detention had violated the law, describing it as an abduction rather than a lawful arrest.
“Today is day six and we do not know his whereabouts,” Ssenyonyi told the House.
In response, Second Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga said he had contacted security chiefs following an earlier commitment to provide Parliament with an update. However, he requested more time to obtain a comprehensive report from the security agencies.
Ssenyonyi questioned why authorities needed additional time to establish the whereabouts of someone believed to be in state custody, insisting that continued delays amounted to an ongoing violation of the law.
During the debate, Kawempe North MP Luyimbazi Nalukoola alleged that prolonged incommunicado detention is sometimes used to conceal the alleged mistreatment of suspects before they are presented in court.
The Opposition later appealed to Parliament to ensure that Kivumbi’s family, doctors and lawyers are immediately allowed to see him while awaiting the government’s official report.
Ruling on the matter, Speaker Oboth-Oboth described the issue as serious and directed both the government and opposition leadership to work together to facilitate access.
“I direct that the Prime Minister, the Government Chief Whip and the opposition leadership harmonise and ensure that the family has access to Hon. Muwanga Kivumbi,” the Speaker ruled.
Kivumbi was re-arrested by security operatives at a roadblock in Mpigi District on July 10, 2026, only hours after he had been released on bail by the International Crimes Division of the High Court.
He and several co-accused are facing terrorism-related charges linked to violence that allegedly occurred in Butambala during the January 2026 general elections. Kivumbi has denied all the charges.
