Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has confirmed the detention of Eddie Mutwe, the chief bodyguard to National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.
“He is in my basement,” said Kainerugaba on X, formerly Twitter.
“If you see Eddie’s head now he looks like an egg. Totally clean,” the General added.
This follows an earlier statement by NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, who announced on Wednesday that Mutwe had been “kidnapped by armed men” from Mbalwa in Mukono District. His whereabouts had remained unknown since.
In a series of posts on X, Muhoozi made remarks suggesting Mutwe was in custody and had undergone changes during his detention.
“The beards were the first thing the boys removed. After he finished crying and urinating,” Muhoozi wrote.
He followed with: “If you see Eddie’s head now he looks like an egg. Totally clean.”
And later added: “Eddie is looking very smart these days. The boys have tuned him well. He salutes Mzee’s picture every day before breakfast.”
While Muhoozi did not explicitly state where Mutwe is being held or under what legal framework, the statements have been widely interpreted as confirmation that he is under the control of security personnel.
Bobi Wine responded to Kainerugaba’s post, “Time will tell.”
As of Thursday evening, no official statement had been issued by the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), or other government agencies regarding Mutwe’s status.
No charges have been announced.
NUP officials have called for clarity on the matter and demanded that Mutwe be produced in court if he is in lawful custody. “This is a clear indication that our colleague is being held. We expect the state to follow the law,” one party official said.
Mutwe has been arrested on previous occasions and has been a key figure in Bobi Wine’s personal security detail since the rise of the People Power movement.