KAMPALA, Uganda — In an astonishing and highly controversial public statement, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has issued a direct and severe warning regarding the health and detention of prominent opposition figure and Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago.
Dismissing concerns over Lukwago’s deteriorating medical condition, the military chief declared that the politician will not be released under any circumstances, even going as far as to state he would take personal responsibility for Lukwago’s death.
“He Is Going NOWHERE”
The chilling remarks were broadcast to Gen. Muhoozi’s 1.3 million followers on X (formerly Twitter) amid growing public outcry from opposition leaders and human rights advocates demanding medical attention for the detained Lord Mayor.
“Lukwago can be as SICK as he can pretend! He is going NOWHERE!” Gen. Muhoozi posted, explicitly accusing the opposition leader of fabricating his illness to secure a release.
The military chief then added a ominous decree that has sent shockwaves through Uganda’s political landscape:
“If he wants to die, I will take responsibilty!”
Demands for Execution and “Hanging”
The statement follows a series of increasingly aggressive online declarations from the CDF regarding the custody of political dissidents. Hours earlier, Gen. Muhoozi revealed that Lukwago was effectively being held as his personal captive, writing, “If my uncle the Kabaka requests me to release my prisoner… Lukwago. I will do it.”
However, he quickly pivot to a more violent ultimatum should no such royal intervention occur. “If no such request comes through then we will HANG Lukwago like his Boss Besigye,” the General wrote, referencing longtime opposition icon Dr. Kizza Besigye.
Escalating Political Crisis
Erias Lukwago, a deeply popular figure in Kampala and a vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s administration, has frequently faced state surveillance, arbitrary arrests, and legal battles. The open admission by the head of the military that a civilian politician is being held as a “prisoner” under threat of execution marks a dramatic departure from standard constitutional law.
Legal analysts and human rights defenders have expressed immediate alarm over the CDF’s statements, noting that a public official openly accepting responsibility for the potential death of a political prisoner undermines the rule of law and hints at a severe escalation in state-sponsored political violence.
Neither the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) nor the Ministry of Justice has issued an official statement to clarify whether the General’s remarks represent formal state policy or independent military directives.
