By Aggrey Baba
At the very moment many Ugandans thought their relationship was tainted, National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) sat down to write to fellow opposition leader Erias Lukwago, sending a message of encouragement to a friend behind bars. He documented what he sees as a painful chapter in the country’s opposition politics, a story of arrests, fear, exile and a growing sense of vulnerability among Museveni opposers.
In an emotional handwritten letter dated July 8, 2026, seen by our reporter, Kyagulanyi, currently living abroad, described Lukwago’s detention as heartbreaking, recalling moments when they both found themselves on the receiving end of state action because of their political activism.
Lukwago, the president of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), was arrested on June 15, 2026, from his home in Nalukolongo, Kampala, in an operation which many in the opposition described as an abduction, with his lawyer Medard Lubega Sseggona and colleagues saying he was taken away by security operatives before his whereabouts became known.
Two days later, on June 17, Lukwago appeared before Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court, where he was charged with misprision of treason, a charge linked to the case involving veteran opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye and Haji Obed Lutale.
Prosecution alleges that Lukwago, being part of Besigye’s legal team, and a close political ally, knew about an alleged plan to overthrow the government but failed to report it to authorities, allegations Lukwago has since denied.
The case has attracted national attention because Lukwago is not only an opposition politician but also one of Uganda’s most prominent human rights lawyers. For decades, he has represented opposition activists and individuals accused of challenging the state.
At the time of his arrest, Lukwago was among the lawyers representing Besigye and Lutale, who were arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024 after travelling to attend a book launch by Kenyan lawyer and politician, Martha Karua, who later became part of the legal team defending them.
According to prosecutors, Besigye and Lutale were involved in activities linked to an alleged attempt to overthrow the government. Their supporters have rejected the allegations, describing the case as politically motivated.
While appearing in court, Lukwago pleaded for bail, citing his deteriorating health and asking to be allowed to access medical care, a moment which deeply affected Kyagulanyi.
“I have been following your trials and tribulations with a heavy heart. I watched a video of you begging the magistrate to be granted bail so that you could access medical care. It was heartbreaking. Even in that condition, they remanded you further,” Kyagulanyi wrote.
The former presidential candidate said Lukwago’s plea reminded him of the late Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya (NUP), who also pleaded for medical attention while in detention before his death.
“That reminded me of our brother Muhammad Ssegirinya who stood before court, desperately begging for the same mercy, even showing the magistrate his feet as they rotted away. His cries were ignored until it was too late,” he added.
Kyagulanyi also brought into the conversation public statements attributed to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), who had previously made threatening remarks against Lukwago on social media.
“Then I remembered that Museveni’s son publicly declared that he was proud of the pain and suffering that he intended to inflict on you. I’m aware he is getting the satisfaction now,” the exiled NUP leader said.
The letter also carries personal memories between the two, with Kyagulanyi recalling how Lukwago visited him at Makindye Military Barracks in 2018 after he was arrested during the Arua by-election campaigns and allegedly tortured.
“I remember the day you visited me in Makindye Military Barracks after I was brutally tortured in Arua. You saw me in that condition and wept. By God’s grace, I recovered, at least physically,” he wrote, further reminding Lukwago that the former Kampala Lord Mayor had spent much of his career as a lawyer, defending people facing similar accusations.
“You’ve spent your life defending victims of injustice. It is sad to see you now enduring the very injustice you defended others from. Your only crime is refusing to kneel before Museveni and his family.”
Kyagulanyi also explained his inability to visit Lukwago personally, saying his current stay abroad had made it impossible.
“I’m sadly unable to come and personally visit and comfort you during this painful time. I wish I could,” he wrote.
The message comes at a time when Uganda’s opposition landscape appears increasingly unsettled.
Mr. Kyagulanyi himself left Uganda after the 2026 presidential election, following, according to him, threats to his safety. He said he first went into hiding before leaving the country after receiving intelligence from contacts within the security establishment that authorities intended to arrest him, further claiming that some senior military officers (Generals) helped him escape.
His departure followed what he described as a security operatives’ ambush at his Magere residence on January 16, 2026, shortly after the president”YOUR ONLY CRIME IS REFUSING TO KNEEL BEFORE MUSEVENI” — KYAGULANYI’S EMOTIONAL LETTER TO JAILED LUKWAGO OPENS NEW WINDOW INTO OPPOSITION CRISIS
KAMPALA — When opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu sat down to write to his longtime political ally Erias Lukwago, he was not only sending a message of encouragement to a friend behind bars; he was documenting what he sees as a painful chapter in Uganda’s opposition politics — a story of arrests, fear, exile and a growing sense of vulnerability among government critics.
In a deeply emotional letter dated July 8, 2026, Kyagulanyi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader currently living abroad, described Lukwago’s detention as heartbreaking, recalling moments when both men found themselves on the receiving end of state action because of their political activism.
Lukwago, the president of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), was arrested on June 15, 2026, from his home in Nalukolongo, Kampala, in an operation that opposition leaders described as an abduction. His lawyers and colleagues said he was taken away by security operatives before his whereabouts became known.
Two days later, on June 17, Lukwago appeared before Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court, where he was charged with misprision of treason.
The charge against him is linked to the wider case involving opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye and Haji Obed Lutale. Prosecution alleges that Lukwago, being part of Besigye’s legal team, knew about an alleged plan to overthrow the government but failed to report it to authorities.
Lukwago has denied the allegations.
The case has attracted national attention because Lukwago is not only an opposition politician but also one of Uganda’s most prominent human rights lawyers. For decades, he has represented opposition activists and individuals accused of challenging the state.
At the time of his arrest, Lukwago was among the lawyers representing Besigye and Lutale, who were arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024 after travelling to attend a book launch by Kenyan lawyer and politician . Karua later became part of the legal team defending them.
According to prosecutors, Besigye and Lutale were involved in activities linked to an alleged attempt to overthrow the government. Their supporters have rejected the allegations, describing the case as politically motivated.
While appearing in court, Lukwago pleaded for bail, citing his deteriorating health and asking to be allowed to access medical care. The moment deeply affected Kyagulanyi.
“I have been following your trials and tribulations with a heavy heart. I watched a video of you begging the magistrate to be granted bail so that you can access medical care. It was heartbreaking. Even in that condition, they remanded you further,” Kyagulanyi wrote.
The former presidential candidate said Lukwago’s plea reminded him of another opposition figure, the late Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya, who also pleaded for medical attention while in detention before his death.
“That reminded me of our brother Muhammad Ssegirinya who stood before court, desperately begging for the same mercy, even showing the magistrate his feet as they rotted away. His cries were ignored until it was too late,” he wrote.
Kyagulanyi also brought into the conversation public statements attributed to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, who had previously made threatening remarks against Lukwago on social media.
“Then I remembered that Museveni’s son publicly declared that he was proud of the pain and suffering that he intended to inflict on you. I’m aware he is getting the satisfaction now,” Kyagulanyi said.
The letter also carries personal memories between the two opposition leaders.
Kyagulanyi recalled how Lukwago visited him at Makindye Military Barracks in 2018 after he was arrested during the Arua by-election campaigns and allegedly tortured.
“I remember the day you visited me in Makindye Military Barracks after I was brutally tortured in Arua. You saw me in that condition and wept. By God’s grace, I recovered, at least physically,” he wrote.
He reminded Lukwago that the lawyer had spent much of his career defending people facing similar accusations.
“You’ve spent your life defending victims of injustice. It is sad to see you now enduring the very injustice you defended others from. Your only crime is refusing to kneel before Museveni and his family.”
Kyagulanyi also explained his inability to visit Lukwago personally, saying his current stay abroad had made it impossible.
“I’m sadly unable to come and personally visit and comfort you during this painful time. I wish I could,” he wrote.
The message comes at a time when Uganda’s opposition landscape appears increasingly unsettled.
Kyagulanyi himself left Uganda after the 2026 presidential election, following what he described as threats to his safety. He has said he went into hiding before leaving the country after receiving intelligence from contacts within the security establishment that authorities intended to arrest him. He has also claimed that some senior military officers helped him escape.
His departure followed what he described as an attempted security operation at his Magere residence on January 16, 2026, shortly after the presidential election in which he participated as a candidate and finished second behind President Yoweri Museveni.
The uncertainty has since spread among other opposition leaders, with former Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda believed to have left the country after receiving information that he could be among those targeted following Lukwago’s arrest.
Former Leader of Opposition Wafula Oguttu recently told Mulengera News that several opposition politicians, professionals and activists had privately expressed fears about their safety and were considering leaving Uganda.
PFF spokesperson Salaam Musumba has also said she has repeatedly received warnings that she could be among opposition figures targeted for arrest. However, she has insisted she will remain in Uganda.
“Uganda belongs to all Ugandans. I will not be moved by the state’s excesses. I am not leaving Uganda,” she said.
For Kyagulanyi, Lukwago’s imprisonment represents more than an individual legal battle, with his letter portraying it as part of a wider struggle involving political space, freedom of expression and the future of opposition politics in Uganda.
He ended his message with a prayer and a call for resilience, saying “May your moral stand give you comfort in that lonely prison cell and may Allah strengthen your spirit and comfort your family. We shall overcome.” (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
