Ugandan opposition politician Muwanga Kivumbi granted bail after fresh arrest

Ugandan opposition politician Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi has been granted bail after weeks in custody on fresh charges linked to allegations of inciting violence and involvement in an unlawful organisation.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) deputy president for Buganda was released by the Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, ending another period of detention in a case that has already involved a previous bail order, a disputed re-arrest and renewed criminal proceedings.
Kivumbi’s latest release follows his earlier detention in a separate case before Uganda’s International Crimes Division of the High Court. In July, that court granted him cash bail of 10 million Ugandan shillings, while his sureties were required to sign non-cash bonds. Sixteen other accused people in that case were also released on bail.
But Kivumbi’s freedom was short-lived.
Soon after leaving custody, he was intercepted in Mpigi while travelling from Butambala towards Kampala. His lawyers said he was taken away by security personnel and that they were unable to establish his whereabouts for several days.
He later appeared at Nateete Police Station before being transferred back to Butambala, where prosecutors brought the new charges against him. Reports at the time said he had been missing for 19 days.
The latest prosecution case centres on an alleged gathering at Bugoye Village in Gombe Ward on 9 July. Prosecutors allege that Kivumbi and other people who have not been arrested addressed the gathering and encouraged members of the public to commit violence against government officials and overthrow the government.
He is also accused of managing an unlawful society, with prosecutors alleging that he organised, encouraged or supported efforts aimed at challenging the government.
Kivumbi denies the allegations.
The fresh case is separate from the terrorism-related proceedings in which he and several others are accused of offences allegedly connected to violence that followed Uganda’s January 2026 general election.
In that case, prosecutors have alleged attacks on Kibibi Police Station and the Butambala Electoral Commission tally centre, damage to the Butambala-Gomba road and the destruction of vehicles. Kivumbi and his co-accused have denied the allegations.
His release has been welcomed by NUP officials. The party’s deputy secretary general, Lewis Rubongoya, said the party hoped Kivumbi would not face another arrest following his release.
The circumstances surrounding Kivumbi’s detention have drawn attention from opposition figures and his legal team, particularly after his re-arrest following the earlier High Court bail decision.
The latest court ruling means Kivumbi will remain out of custody while the proceedings over the fresh allegations continue before the Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The case comes amid wider scrutiny of the treatment of opposition figures and political activists in Uganda following the 2026 elections, with authorities maintaining that criminal proceedings are based on alleged offences rather than political affiliation.
For Kivumbi, Tuesday’s bail decision marks another turn in a prolonged legal battle that has taken him from months on remand to a High Court bail order, a controversial re-arrest and now a second release as the new case proceeds.