By Aggrey Baba
Barely 24 hours after walking out of detention, NUP Deputy President for Buganda Muhamad Muwanga Kivumbi has sent a defiant message to the government, declaring that neither imprisonment nor the threat of another detention will silence him from speaking about Uganda’s political affairs.
Addressing the public through the media at Kavule on Wednesday, the former Butambala MP made it clear that his return from Kitalya Prison would not mark the end of his political activism, warning that if speaking against bad governance attracts another arrest or takes him back into a “safe house”, he is prepared to face the consequences.
“If speaking out qualifies me for another safe house, then so be it. I will continue to speak because there are things that must be said about the future of this country, and the way its governed,” Kivumbi said.
His remarks came just a day after the Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court granted him UGX3 million cash bail, ending months of detention following a series of arrests and court battles.
Hon Kivumbi had been arrested and charged alongside others in a terrorism case connected to alleged election-related violence in Butambala, were many of his supporters were reportedly shot dead inside his house. He was later granted bail by the High Court but was re-arrested the following day, and subsequently faced fresh charges in Butambala, including incitement to violence and managing an unlawful society.
But instead of emerging from prison cautiously, Kivumbi has returned to the political stage with a message that his time behind bars had not changed his determination to speak out. He has challenged political leaders who believe that imprisonment, intimidation or restrictions can permanently suppress competing political voices.
“We have a responsibility as a generation to deliver Uganda. Every generation has its own history, and this is now our generational assignment to deliver this country,” he said.
His argument was that Uganda’s political problems cannot be solved by silencing people who hold different views, saying that the country needs leaders who can tolerate criticism, accommodate competing ideas and allow citizens to make political choices without fear.
The NUP leader also invoked the principle of constitutionalism, arguing that political power should always be exercised within the law regardless of who occupies State House.
He appealed to those in power to show restraint and remember that political opponents are not necessarily enemies.
His remarks carry added significance because they came immediately after his release from a lengthy period of detention and a subsequent re-arrest that kept him away from the political arena.
His return to Kavule, for those who support and look up to him, offered an opportunity to demonstrate that his legal troubles had not ended his political engagement.
Kivumbi’s defiance also extended beyond his own circumstances, arguing that Uganda must develop a political culture where leaders compete through persuasion rather than coercion and where citizens can freely express alternative visions for the country. He warned that suppressing political voices does not remove the underlying demands for change. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
