Political analyst and former Rubumbura County Member of Parliament Charles Rwomushana was this morning abducted after armed plainclothes security personnel picked him up from the studios of Radio Simba in Kampala this morning, throwing the spotlight back on the widening treason-related investigations surrounding opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye.
Rwomushana was appearing on Radio Simba’s popular political talk show, Gasimbagane ne Bannamawulire, when the men reportedly entered the studios and took him away. His whereabouts were not immediately known by press time. A source familiar with the incident told The Investigator that the operation happened swiftly, with the security personnel allegedly whisking Rwomushana away before colleagues and other people at the station could establish where he was being taken.
“Rwomushana was whisked away at a breakneck speed. We can’t establish where he has been jailed,” a journalist at Radio Simba said. The reported arrest has immediately generated speculation that Rwomushana’s detention is connected to the ongoing treason case involving Dr Besigye and his co-accused. Rwomushana’s name emerged in prosecution evidence relating to alleged meetings in Europe at which the State claims discussions were held about efforts to overthrow the Ugandan Government by force of arms.
The allegations against him, however, have not been tested in court, and Rwomushana had not been charged in the Besigye case before the reported arrest.
Named In Besigye Case
The prosecution’s evidence in proceedings connected to the Besigye case names Rwomushana among people allegedly present at a meeting in Brussels, Belgium. According to the State’s account, the meeting involved Andrew Wilson, also known as Orlando, whom prosecutors describe as a private security operator involved in firearms, investigations and tactical training.
Court records cited in proceedings against former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago indicate that Salaamu Musumba allegedly proposed a meeting in Brussels and invited several people, including Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, Lubega Mukaku and Rwomushana. The State alleges that discussions at the meeting centred on obtaining security and military assistance and planning activities aimed at destabilising the Government.
Prosecutors further claim that Wilson agreed to work with the group as a security and military adviser and that the discussions were recorded. The prosecution says the alleged Brussels meeting was part of a wider chain of interactions that later included meetings involving Dr Besigye in Geneva and elsewhere. These allegations remain contested and are yet to be tested through a full trial.
Arrest Follows Warning
The circumstances surrounding Rwomushana’s reported arrest have also attracted attention because of a social-media exchange that occurred days earlier. According to NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, Rwomushana recently posted a video on X which attracted a response from an account using a photograph of Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. The account reportedly wrote: “Anytym you will be picked.”
Rwomushana responded by asking whether the statement amounted to a threat or was merely an observation. Rubongoya, in a post following today’s incident, questioned the circumstances of Rwomushana’s reported arrest and said he had been grabbed from Radio Simba studios by armed men in civilian clothes.
Other political commentators also reported that Rwomushana had been taken away during the radio programme. The reports have not, however, been accompanied by an official statement identifying the security agency responsible for the operation or specifying the location where he was being held.
More Charges Expected
Sources told The Investigator that Rwomushana could be brought before court in connection with the investigations and could face charges beyond the allegations arising from the Besigye case. Among the offences being mentioned are spreading harmful propaganda and offences under the Computer Misuse Act.
The exact charges, however, will only become clear if and when prosecutors present him before court. The reported arrest therefore presents a significant development in a case that has gradually widened beyond Dr Besigye and his immediate co-accused. In recent months, prosecutors have increasingly referred to individuals who were allegedly involved in meetings or had knowledge of the activities under investigation.
Former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, for instance, was committed to the High Court on a charge of misprision of treason after prosecutors alleged that he knew about an alleged plan to overthrow the Government but failed to report it to authorities.
The prosecution evidence in those proceedings also mentioned Rwomushana, Ssemujju Nganda, Musumba and Mukaku.
A Political Commentator Under Pressure
Rwomushana is not a newcomer to Uganda’s political and security debates. A former Constitution Assembly member and former MP for Rubumbura County, he has over the years established himself as a prominent political commentator, frequently appearing on radio and television programmes to analyse Government, opposition and security matters.
His outspoken interventions have also made him a familiar figure in Uganda’s highly charged political environment. His reported arrest from a radio studio has therefore raised questions about the extent to which security agencies are prepared to pursue individuals whose names appear in the evidence being presented in the Besigye proceedings.
It has also renewed concerns among opposition figures and political commentators over the circumstances under which suspects are picked up and detained. The incident is particularly sensitive because Rwomushana was reportedly taken away in plain clothes rather than being arrested through a publicly announced police operation.
Until the authorities provide details, however, it remains unclear whether he was formally arrested, which agency conducted the operation, where he is being detained and what specific offences he is expected to answer.
‘Maybe He Is Going Farming’
The uncertainty surrounding Rwomushana’s whereabouts has generated a mixture of concern, criticism and sarcasm among political actors. Former Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo appeared to make light of the reports, posting that he had been informed Rwomushana was “now learning Dhopadhola” under a tree shade somewhere in Uganda.
The comment added another layer to an incident that has already triggered intense debate on social media. For Rwomushana’s supporters, the central concern is not simply whether he is eventually charged but where he has been taken and whether his rights as a suspect are being respected.
For the authorities, the reported detention comes against the background of a serious prosecution case in which the State alleges that plans were made to violently overthrow the Government. The prosecution has previously alleged that meetings involving individuals connected to the Besigye case discussed military assistance, covert intelligence, firearms and other forms of support. Those claims remain allegations until tested in court.
The Bigger Question
Rwomushana’s reported arrest could mark another important stage in the expansion of the Besigye treason investigations. What began as a prosecution targeting Besigye and his co-accused has increasingly drawn in a wider circle of political figures whose names appear in prosecution evidence. The question now is whether Rwomushana will be formally charged over his alleged connection to the meetings described by prosecutors or whether investigators intend to question him before deciding on further action.
Until then, the circumstances of his reported removal from Radio Simba remain shrouded in uncertainty. What is clear is that Rwomushana’s name has already appeared in prosecution evidence connected to the Besigye case. The State alleges that he attended a Brussels meeting where discussions linked to an alleged armed effort to overthrow the Government took place.
Whether that allegation will now translate into criminal charges against Rwomushana is likely to become clearer when he is presented before court. For now, the political analyst’s whereabouts remain unknown, while the reported arrest has opened yet another chapter in Uganda’s increasingly expansive and politically sensitive treason proceedings.
Author Profile
- Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]
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