Uganda has in recent years been hit by a rising tide of kidnappings and enforced disappearances, a development that has raised alarm bells among human rights activists, the international community, and Ugandans. These disappearances, which have largely targeted opposition political leaders, their supporters, and government critics, have painted a very worrying picture of the state of governance, the rule of law, and respect for fundamental freedoms in the country. One of the most concerning and high-profile cases is that of Eddie Mutwe, a bodyguard of Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, a leading opposition figure and former presidential candidate. Mutwe had reportedly been abducted in the area of Kampala on April 27, 2025. What was more appalling in this case was the open admission by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of long-serving President Yoweri Museveni and commander of Uganda’s military forces, of holding Mutwe captive in his basement. This statement, if intended as political theatre or a statement of unchecked power, exposed the depths of Uganda’s current political crisis and the extent to which power relations have diverged from constitutional norms.
The kidnapping of Eddie Mutwe did not occur in a vacuum. It is part of an ongoing and well-documented pattern of repression that has come to define the politics of Uganda, particularly since the emergence of the People Power movement under Bobi Wine. From the 2018 Arua by-election debacle, where opposition supporters were brutally arrested and tortured, to the disappearances that marked the 2021 general elections, the evidence points to a systematic pattern by the state to stifle dissent. Victims of these kinds of abductions are typically seized by individuals in plain clothes or security personnel using unmarked vehicles, popularly referred to as “drones.” The victims are detained incommunicado for days, weeks, or months, and sometimes without any charges and access to a lawyer. Some reappear bearing signs of torture and psychological trauma; others are never seen again.

This truth has eroded public trust in the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. Old checks meant to protect citizens from abuse have either been co-opted or diluted. Parliamentarians have raised this issue countless times, but with very little tangible action by the executive branch of government. Judicial processes have failed to adequately punish these abuses, courtesy of political interference and lack of independence. Thus, the people of Uganda are left open to risks, with very limited access to protection or justice.
The human rights implications are severe. These enforced disappearances violate a number of international conventions and treaties, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture, to which Uganda is a signatory. Internationally, these acts violate Uganda’s own constitution, which guarantees personal liberty, freedom of expression, and immunity from arbitrary arrest. The continued employment by the government of such policies reflects a discouraging disregard for its international obligations and the judicial processes it claims to uphold. Additionally, it signifies a willingness to use fear as a governmental tactic, an action that muzzles public dialogue, detests citizen involvement, and demotes democratic functions.
The broader political context in Uganda compounds the severity of the situation. President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, has increasingly centralized authority and extended his rule through constitutional amendments that removed term and age limits. This entrenchment of power has led to the militarization of political spaces and the suppression of opposition voices through legal, extralegal, and violent means. Institutions that are meant to act as checks and balances, including the media, civil society, and the judiciary, have been subjected to constant attacks and regulatory repression. As political competition intensifies, especially from charismatic and youth-oriented figures like Bobi Wine, the government has responded with higher levels of repression.

The impact on civil society has been chilling. Human rights NGOs and advocacy groups have fought harder to operate in the context of repressive law, such as the NGO Act and the Computer Misuse Act, which have the impact of encouraging surveillance, arbitrary arrest, and harassment. Opposition activists have been intimidated, attacked, and arrested by journalists reporting on their activities or government abuses. The overall impact is a society where terror reigns and freedom of expression is drastically limited. Activists and regular citizens alike now hesitate before criticizing the regime, joining political demonstrations, or expressing dissent on the internet.
The world has not been silent. There have been plenty of reports by Amnesty International, the United Nations, and Human Rights Watch documenting such abuses and calling on the Ugandan government to stop its crackdown. Western governments, particularly aid donors to Uganda, have condemned it and at times meted out targeted sanctions on those held accountable for human rights abuses. But critics argue that the global response has been weak and uneven, often prioritizing regional stability and counterterrorism cooperation ahead of the defense of human rights. Uganda’s geopolitical position in East Africa, its involvement in African Union peacekeeping missions, and its status as a host country for refugees have given the Museveni regime significant clout in world diplomacy, which it has used to deflect condemnation and maintain the status quo.
The silence and helplessness of affected families testify further to the magnitude of this crisis. The families of the disappeared are normally afraid to voice their concerns due to fear of retaliation from security forces. Those who do, in some cases, face bureaucratic stonewalling, threats, and disinformation. The psychological toll on families is massive, with most being left eternally confused about the fate of their relatives. These testimonials, though traumatic, hardly get reported by mainstream media, and when they do, easily get refuted as being exaggerated or politicized by the authorities.

What Uganda is experiencing is not only a series of random events, but a relentless erosion of democratic rule and the rule of law. Enforced disappearances are not just human rights abuses; they are tools of political control aimed at instilling fear and silencing true dissent. They reflect a government that has lost confidence in dialogue and constitutionalism and is resorting to an accumulation of power through coercion and violence. The normalization of such behavior establishes a dangerous precedent, not just for Uganda but for the region as a whole, in which authoritarian tendencies are gaining strength in a number of other states.
There is an urgent need for a comprehensive and coherent response. Globally, this should include the institutionalization of judicial independence in societies in the process of democratization, the repeal or amendment of oppressive laws, and the establishment of mechanisms for accountability, including independent commissions of inquiry to investigate enforced disappearances. Civil society must be supported and protected, not just in law but in reality, so that it can properly fulfill its essential function in democracy and human rights protection. Mass sensitization and civic mobilization will also have to be re-infused, at least among young people, since they make up the largest bulk of Uganda’s population and Uganda’s most vociferous constituency for change.
At the international level, donor governments and multilateral institutions must go beyond issuing statements of concern. Human rights conditionality, persistent diplomatic pressure, and support to local human rights defenders are required. International judicial processes, including the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Criminal Court, must be called upon in the most egregious cases where domestic options have been exhausted.
In the end, the battle against abductions and enforced disappearances in Uganda is a larger battle for justice, dignity, and the nation’s soul. The case of Eddie Mutwe and those like him is not merely political but human. With every disappearance, there is a life interrupted, a family dislocated, and a society driven further into silence. It requires more than political will; it requires courage, joint effort, and a recommitment to the values of democracy, accountability, and human rights. Then and only then can Uganda work towards a future where no one should have to live in fear of merely having the audacity to dream of a better country.