Eddie Mutwe, a close aide to National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Bobi Wine, was violently abducted under chilling circumstances in Kiwango village, Mukono district.
According to Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine, Mutwe was seized by heavily armed men clad in Special Forces Command (SFC) uniforms, who stormed the village in a Toyota van, infamously known locally as a “drone.”
The abduction has sent shockwaves across the country, once again raising deep concerns over forced disappearances, militarization of politics and the shrinking democratic space in Uganda.
Witnesses report that the armed men, their faces partially covered, swooped down without warning, grabbed Eddie Mutwe and bundled him into the waiting drone van. Within minutes, they had disappeared, leaving stunned locals and a cloud of dust behind.
No formal charges, arrest warrant or explanation was provided, a tactic chillingly reminiscent of Uganda’s dark era of political kidnappings.
In a tweet seen by thousands within minutes, Bobi Wine blasted the operation:
“Comrade @eddie_mutwe has just been violently abducted from Kiwango village in Mukono district by armed men in SFC uniform travelling in a Toyota van (“drone”).”
The post has since ignited a storm online, with activists, human rights defenders and international observers demanding answers.
Eddie Mutwe, real name Edward Ssebufu, is more than just Bobi Wine’s personal bodyguard, he is a symbol of the NUP’s struggle against oppression.
Famed for his unwavering loyalty and courage during the 2018 Arua by-election chaos, Mutwe has faced numerous arrests, beatings and threats from security operatives. Yet, he has consistently stood tall, a living embodiment of the resilience that Uganda’s opposition prides itself on.
His sudden, violent abduction hits not just the NUP family but the broader Ugandan opposition movement hard.
The use of unmarked Toyota vans dubbed “drones” by the public has become one with abductions and enforced disappearances in Uganda. Victims are often blindfolded, beaten and detained without trial for weeks or months.
Despite persistent denials by security agencies, rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented a disturbing pattern of state-linked kidnappings over the last few years.
Several opposition leaders and civil society organizations have already condemned the abduction, calling it a brazen violation of the Constitution and an assault on basic human rights.
NUP supporters are demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Eddie Mutwe and urging the government to come clean on his whereabouts and condition.
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