MP Muwanga Kivumbi terrorism charges amended

BUTAMBALA - Butambala Chief Magistrate Deogratious Ssejemba has received amended charges against Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, who is battling a terrorism offence.

At the same session on Tuesday, February 3, Kivumbi unveiled his defence team, which includes Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Medard Lubega Sseggona and Samuel Muyizzi, among others. 

According to the amended charge sheet at Butambala Magistrate's Court, Mpigi district, the Director of Public Prosecutions has added 24 other people, some of whom are said to be Kivumbi's polling agents in the just concluded parliamentary elections.

"A week ago, the terrorism charges were read to Hon Muwanga Kivumbi; now we are supposed to read them to you because of the amendment made, and you were also added to the case, and the charge is terrorism under the anti-terrorism act cap 120," the Chief Magistrate said.

Uganda Prisons officers lead handcuffed Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi to court where his terrorism charges were amended. (Credit: Simon Ssekidde)

Its is alleged that, Muwanga Kivumbi, and others between the 11th to 16th of January 2026, at various places, including Kibibi Town council and Gombe Town Council within Butambala district for purposes of influencing the government or intimidating the public or a section of the public and for the political or economic aim, indiscriminately without due regard to the safety of others or property carried out acts prejudicial to the national security or public safety to which orchestrated and executed a violent attack on Kibibi Police Station and Butambala electoral Commission tally center.

Prosecution also accused them of causing serious damage to sections of the Butambala-Gomba road and destroying motor vehicles, which resulted in the death of seven people.

Prosecution led by the assistant director of public prosecutions, Rachael Bikhole, therefore asked court to adjourn the matter up to 17th  February to allow his team to finalise the investigations.

However, Sseggona asked court to terminate the proceedings into the matter, citing violation of constitutional provisions regarding investigations. He also demanded that court directs recursion of detectives who handled this matter and new detectives to take over investigations.

He told court that the police officers who arrested Kivumbi denied him the right to know the charges against him, and hence he never wrote any statement.

At the same session on Tuesday, February 3, Kivumbi unveiled his defence team, which includes Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Medard Lubega Sseggona, and Samuel Muyizzi, among others. (Credit: Simon Ssekidde)

He wondered how the state carried out investigations into the matter and how they arrived at the terrorism charges that were put against their client.

Sseggona further alleged that while at Kiira Road Police Station, Kivumbi requested that he records a statement in the presence of his lawyers, which did not go down well with the investigators.

Lukwago also raised the matter of gross human rights abuses and argued that the matter before court did not follow the laws governing investigations and also human rights issues.

Lukwago also vehemently objected to the amendment of charge sheet to include the additional 24 people charged along with Muwanga Kivumbi, adding that this was prejudicial and it would tantamount to an ambush.

The presiding magistrate, Ssejemba, adjourned the matter to February 17th of this month to make a ruling on the issues raised by the defence lawyers.