KAMPALA, Uganda — Security operatives early Monday morning stormed the home of former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago in what opposition figures are calling a panicked deep-state operation to block an explosive lawsuit against Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Unidentified security personnel seized Lukwago from his residence in Wakaliga, a neighborhood in the Rubaga Division, just hours before he was scheduled to formally serve court papers to the military chief.
Images and videos circulating on social media showed white vans, including some equipped with bull bars, positioned near Lukwago’s home as residents watched the dramatic operation unfold. Police and other government authorities have maintained a tight-lipped silence, refusing to issue an official statement regarding the raid.
Shortly after the operation, Kainerugaba appeared to boast about the capture on social media. Using derogatory language, the general stated that he had taken a target to a basement to learn Kiswahili.
The targeted raid occurred on the exact day Lukwago, acting president of the People’s Front for Freedom, was set to serve Kainerugaba with a high-stakes civil lawsuit. The suit, filed by opposition leader Kizza Besigye and his aide Obeid Lutale, accuses the defense chief of using social media to threaten Besigye’s life and undermine his right to a fair trial. The legal team highlighted past public posts by Kainerugaba, including a January 2025 statement declaring that authorities would hang Besigye on Heroes’ Day, and a February 2026 post describing the opposition leader as a dead man walking.
The timing of the seizure directly interferes with a strict timeline issued by High Court Judge Emmanuel Baguma on June 11. The judge ordered Kainerugaba and other respondents to file their responses to the civil suit by June 18, ahead of a scheduled June 30 hearing.
Lukwago is a lead defense attorney for Besigye, who was abducted from Kenya in November 2025 and currently faces treason charges in Uganda. The main treason trial stalled last week when Besigye and Lutale boycotted the courtroom over limited access to their lawyers, forcing an adjournment to June 30.
Officials with the People’s Front for Freedom and other opposition groups characterized the morning seizure as state-sponsored lawlessness specifically engineered to obstruct justice and halt the explosive legal action against the military head.
Authorities have not released information regarding Lukwago’s current location, his physical condition, or whether he faces formal charges.
Lukwago, a high-profile lawyer who handed over the Lord Mayor’s office in May after losing the January election to Ronald Balimwezo, has a long history of friction with Ugandan security forces. He has faced multiple past arrests connected to his fierce criticism of the government.
