More than a week after his arrest, Edward Sebuufu, aka Eddy Mutwe, the personal bodyguard of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, aka Bobi Wine, has been brought to Masaka High Court to be charged with yet-to-be-known offenses.
Eddy Mutwe, who could hardly walk, was supported by two plainclothes security operatives as he limped to the court cells.
Eddy Mutwe was reportedly abducted in Kiwango village, Mukono district, on April 27 by security operatives.
Shortly after he went missing, Bobi Wine said that his bodyguard was violently abducted by armed men in SFC uniform travelling in a Toyota van commonly known as a “drone.”
His whereabouts were unknown for weeks until the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced that he was holding him in his “basement.”
General Muhoozi posted a picture of Eddy Mutwe on his X (formerly Twitter) account, with his beard shaved.
In the picture. Eddy Mutwe appeared half-naked.
In a series of posts, General Muhoozi said that Eddy Mutwe was in his basement learning the Runyankore language.
“He is in my basement. Learning Runyankore. You are next!” Muhoozi posted, replying to a tweet by Bobi Wine about Eddy Mutwe’s arrest.
In another post, Muhoozi said, “I captured NUP’s military commander like a grasshopper (Nsenene). If they keep on provoking us, we shall discipline them even more.”
The development has caused an uproar, especially among the opposition, calling for Eddy Mutwe’s immediate and unconditional release.
Today, Monday, May 5, 2025, the Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, condemned Eddy Mutwe’s detention.
“General Muhoozi Kainerugaba arrested Edward Sebuufu, alias Eddy Mutwe. I think he accuses him of growing his beard and not knowing Runyankore. These are not my words but his (Muhoozi’s). He posted Eddy Mutwe on his social media account with his beard shaved,” Mayiga told Buganda Lukiiko.
Katikkiro called the military chief to hand Eddy Mutwe over to the police if he committed any crime.
“Under the law, it is the police that have a right to arrest. I therefore call on General Muhoozi Kainerugaba to hand over Eddy Mutwe to the police. If there is any crime he committed, let him be handed over to the police. It should be the police to put him in custody and should also follow the law. He should be produced in court within 48 hours,” Mayiga said.
The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu’s personal civilian bodyguard, Edward Sebuufu aka Eddy Mutwe has been charged with two counts of robbery and aggravated robbery and remanded to prison despite his poor health condition resulted from days of torture in military detention.
Mutwe who according to NUP President, was violently abducted by soldiers in Mukono district on April 27, has been under military detention since then.
Today, Monday, May 5, 2025, he was brought to Masaka High Court by security forces. He was limping and supported by two individuals to walk.
Journalists were barred from capturing the proceedings.
As a result, journalists did not attend the court session, but Mutwe’s lawyer, Magellan Kazibwe who himself was initially restricted from accessing court premises but later allowed to enter, revealed to reporters what transpired in Court.
“By the time we entered court, we found Mutwe being arraigned before His Worship, Abudallah Kaiza – Grade One Magistrate who read the charges against him,” Kazibwe told reporters after the court session.
“Those are the same charges which were preferred against Achleo Kivumbi, Wakabi and Gaddafi (other civilian bodyguards of the NUP President). The same charges of simple robbery and aggravated robbery which allegedly occurred at Manja village in Lwengo district,” he added.
A few days after Mutwe was arrested, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba posted a picture of him (Eddy Mutwe) with his beard shaved.
Muhoozi said he was holding Mutwe in his “basement.”
Today, Kazibwe said that his client has been badly tortured.
“Mr Edward Sebuufu has been over tortured for all the days he has been in illegal detention. He was tortured every day. He has told me and my colleague that he was tortured every day five times. And they were beating him using wires of electricity. They were electrocuting him; they were squeezing him including his private parts. He is in great pain,” Kazibwe told reporters.
“He has not received any medication, he has not accessed any doctor up to now, and he was not being allowed even to communicate with his relatives. They confiscated his mobile phones and all the money. He has not been eating, and he is in a very bad and appalling state,” Kazibwe added.