The president of the opposition People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and former Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago was Monday morning seized from his residence in Wakaliga under circumstances that remained unclear.
Details surrounding the operation and any case linked to his arrest were not immediately available.
Lukwago had been scheduled to appear for a television interview at his Kampala office but later opted to conduct it from his residence, according to sources close to him.
He was also preparing to legally serve court documents on Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, according to PFF.
Boda boda riders in the neighbourhood said they noticed security operatives in the area as early as 6:00 a.m. They reported seeing one numberless vehicle and another with registration plates, carrying an estimated eight people dressed in military uniforms and civilian clothing.
Witnesses told Monitor that the operatives entered the premises by scaling the perimeter fence before moving inside the house of the opposition politician and lawyer, who is part of the defence team representing detained veteran opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye in his treason-related case.
Monitor journalist Ibrahim Kavuma, who was inside the house at the time of the arrest, said he heard operatives issuing loud commands to the ex-mayor’s wife and slamming doors as they demanded to know Lukwago’s whereabouts before he was later “captured.”
Operatives also momentarily seized devices from those found inside the house at the time.
In an apparent reference to the operation, Gen Muhoozi, later posted on social media: “I have captured a FOOL and taken him to the basement!”
However, Gen Muhoozi did not identify the individual he was referring to, and it was not immediately clear whether the post was related to Lukwago’s reported arrest.
PFF reacts
PFF has condemned Lukwago’s arrest, accusing the government of using security agencies to suppress political dissent.
“Instead of respecting the rule of law, the regime has chosen military might to shield themselves from legal accountability and choke the voices of democratic change. This is the height of state-sponsored lawlessness,” the party said in a statement on X.
“We want to send a clear message to the dictator and his tools of oppression: intimidation cannot and will not deter our resolve. You can blockade a house, but you cannot blockade the burning desire of millions of Ugandans fighting for freedom and democratic change,” the statement added.
Neither the police nor other security agencies had immediately commented on the reported arrest. The circumstances surrounding the operation could not be independently verified.