Big Story: Here’s What Exactly Happened | Inside Muwanga Kivumbi’s Re-Arrest Hours After Bail

By Swift Reporter

Former Butambala County Member of Parliament Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi has reportedly been re-arrested by security operatives, barely 24 hours after he was granted bail by the International Crimes Division of the High Court.

According to his lawyer, Sam Muyizzi, Kivumbi was picked up on Friday in Mpigi District and driven away in what witnesses described as a “drone” an unmarked white van commonly associated with security operations.

A video circulating online and published by AfroMobile shows Traffic Police officers stopping a white Toyota Land Cruiser in which Kivumbi was travelling. Moments after he stepped out of the vehicle, several plainclothes security operatives moved in, seized him, and bundled him into a numberless white van before driving off.

The circumstances surrounding the latest arrest remain unclear, and by the time of publication, security agencies had not issued an official statement explaining the reasons for the operation or Kivumbi’s whereabouts.

The re-arrest comes just a day after Justice Susan Okalanyi granted bail to Kivumbi and 16 of his co-accused, ending their 169-day detention on terrorism-related charges.

Under the bail terms, Kivumbi was released on a cash bail of Shs10 million, while each of his 16 co-accused was granted Shs1 million cash bail.

The court also ordered all the accused to report to court once every month and prohibited them from leaving Uganda without prior court permission pending the hearing and determination of their case.

Kivumbi and his co-accused are facing terrorism charges arising from incidents allegedly committed between January 11 and 15, 2026, in Kibibi Sub-county, Butambala District, following the January 2026 general elections.

Prosecutors allege that the accused participated in attacks on a polling station and Kibibi Police Station, violence that reportedly left seven people dead.

The accused have denied all the charges and maintain their innocence.

The latest arrest is likely to raise fresh legal and political questions, particularly given that it occurred shortly after the High Court ordered Kivumbi’s release on bail. It remains unclear whether the arrest is linked to the ongoing terrorism case or to a separate investigation.

By press time, neither the Uganda Police Force nor other security agencies had released an official statement regarding the operation. Kivumbi’s legal team says it is working to establish his whereabouts and the legal basis for his renewed detention.