Kampala, Uganda:– The ongoing prosecution of National Unity Platform’s Head of Security, Edward Rogers Ssebuufu, popularly known as Eddie Mutwe, has triggered renewed criticism of Uganda’s criminal justice system, with legal experts and rights defenders warning of systemic abuse, judicial complicity, and disregard for constitutionally protected freedoms.
Eddie Mutwe, a close aide and bodyguard to NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), was reportedly abducted on April 27, 2025, by armed security operatives in Kiwango Village, Mukono District. For over a week, he remained incommunicado under the ‘basement’ of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, without access to a lawyer, medical care, or family members.
On Monday, May 05, Mutwe finally appeared before a magistrate in Masaka in a frail condition, where he disclosed to his lawyer Magellan Kazibwe that he had endured torture and degrading treatment while in detention.
He was subsequently charged with aggravated robbery and simple robbery related to an incident that reportedly occurred in May 2024 in Lwengo District.
According to the amended charge sheet, the prosecution alleges that on May 18, 2024, Ssebufu, alongside Achilleo Kivumbi, Gadafi Mugumya, and Grace Wakabi Smart, and others still at large, robbed Margaret Kayondo, a Masaka-based journalist with Radio Simba, at Manja Village in Lwengo District.
The accused reportedly took her green sweater and mobile phone valued at Shs730,000 and threatened her with sharp knives and sticks.
The court also heard that the group assaulted another journalist, Zainab Namusazi, a correspondent for NBS Television, causing her actual bodily harm. During the incident, her video camera, valued at Shs1.5 million, was reportedly destroyed.
In the aftermath of the court developments, Chapter Four Uganda, a civil rights group based in Kampala, has trashed Eddie Mutwe’s trial, labelling it a “manifest affront to justice,” as both the manner of his arrest and the conditions of his detention violate both Ugandan and international legal standards.
“The enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, torture, and production of a frail Mr. Edward Ssebuufu, alias Eddie Mutwe, in court for trial is a manifest affront to his personal liberty and a violation of his non-derogable right to a fair trial and freedom from torture guaranteed under the Constitution of Uganda, the group said in a statement dated Tuesday, May 06, 2025.
“This incident is a grim reminder of recurring enforced disappearances and the use of torture by state security forces,” the organization added, citing Articles 24 and 44 of the Constitution, which provide absolute protection from torture and inhuman treatment.
The statement further referenced Section 11 of the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act, which obliges courts to terminate any criminal proceeding where non-derogable rights have been infringed.
“The judiciary must declare the trial a nullity and acquit Mr. Ssebufu. Any trial tainted with illegalities cannot be allowed to proceed,” Chapter Four added.
Previous incidents
Eddie Mutwe’s current legal ordeal is not isolated; the NUP leader’s chief bodyguard has been arrested multiple times since 2018, often in connection with his association with Bobi Wine and the opposition’s political activities.
In one high-profile case, he was among dozens charged with treason after chaos erupted during a by-election campaign in Arua. Although that case has stalled, critics say it set the tone for a pattern of political harassment.
Legal experts argue that the judiciary’s silence in the face of blatant rights violations only emboldens security agencies to operate outside the bounds of the law.
“The courts must assert their independence and enforce constitutional safeguards. Otherwise, they risk becoming tools in the erosion of civil liberties,” said a Kampala-based constitutional lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
As of press time, Eddie Mutwe remains in remand custody pending further court proceedings, with no official communication from the Judiciary or the DPP regarding the legality of his detention.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative anews platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp for realtime updates.
