Ugandan Lawmaker and Bobi Wine Ally Arrested Amid Election Violence

Tue Feb 03 2026 17:41:49 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Muwanga Kivumbi, deputy leader of the National Unity Platform in Uganda and ally of opposition leader Bobi Wine, has been arrested for his alleged participation in violent post-election unrest.

Ugandan MP Muwanga Kivumbi has been detained by police for his alleged involvement in violence following last week's elections, where opposition claims electoral fraud. Seven people were reported killed during the unrest, with Kivumbi disputing the death toll. This arrest follows President Yoweri Museveni's victory amid rising tensions in the country as the opposition denounces the electoral process.

Ugandan police have detained a lawmaker and close ally of opposition leader Bobi Wine, Muwanga Kivumbi, for his alleged role in election-related violence last week.

Kivumbi, a deputy leader of Wine's National Unity Platform (NUP), is accused of organizing assaults on a police station and a vote-tallying center following the party's defeat, a claim the NUP denies.

The police reported that seven fatalities resulted from the incidents, but Kivumbi claims the death toll is higher, stating that 10 people died at his residence while awaiting parliamentary election results.

A police statement indicated Kivumbi would be "arraigned before court in due course," linking his arrest to recent incidents of political violence.

This situation arises in the wake of President Yoweri Museveni's re-election for a seventh term, with rising tensions following the elections. During his victory speech, Museveni warned of coordinated attacks by opposition figures, including Kivumbi.

Wine, currently in hiding after a raid on his home, has referred to the electoral outcomes as "fake" and has alleged a "silent massacre" occurring in the country, asserting over 100 deaths from election violence without providing evidence.

Reports suggest dozens of youths have been detained on various charges related to election unrest in Kampala since the elections, as the political landscape in Uganda remains fraught following the prolonged rule of Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.