By Aggrey Baba
David Lewis Rubongoya, the National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General, has described as “shocking” and “disgusting” a photo posted on social media showing a bruised Edward Sebuwufu (Eddie Mutwe), who has been missing for days.
The photo, shared on Thursday night by Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and First Son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, appeared with a caption reading “Learning Runyankore.”
It shows a visibly battered Mutwe, prompting outrage online and in political circles. For days, his family and party had been searching for him in vain, with security agencies denying knowledge of his whereabouts, until the photo surfaced.
Rubongoya, responding on his official X account, said:
“Shocking. Distressing. Disgusting. The intention is to cause hopelessness and despair, and yes, many of us who know and love Eddie Mutwe couldn’t find sleep this night. But there is a silver lining. In this triumphant praise of brutality, the world is provided with evidence that has long been hidden in the shadows. In the past, people were only able to access and take pictures of Makindye Military Barracks and the State Research Bureau after the regime fell. Today, we’re treated to pictures and gross narrations of what happens in the torture chambers. We also have someone taking credit for the torture, hence admitting responsibility for crimes against humanity.
Maybe these pictures and the accompanying tweets will one day be used as evidence in a court of law. Give it time”
Mutwe, a well-known aide and bodyguard to opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), was reportedly abducted last week while attending a function in Mukono District.
Eyewitnesses say he was ambushed by men in SFC (Special Forces Command) uniforms and others in civilian clothing, then bundled into a ‘drone’, a vehicle now widely linked to abductions of political activists.
Since then, his location has remained unknown. His family and colleagues visited multiple police stations and military facilities in vain, with no answers, until the controversial post by Muhoozi confirmed his custody.
Beyond politics, Mutwe is known as a husband and father, a breadwinner whose absence has left his family in distress. For his loved ones, seeing his bruised face online was not only disturbing, but also traumatizing.
Human rights groups have expressed concern about the emotional toll such detentions take on families, many of whom are kept in the dark for days, weeks, or even years.
This is not the first time Mutwe has faced arrest under unclear circumstances, nor is he alone.
Over the past few years, several NUP supporters have been detained without trial, with some missing for extended periods and others reportedly held incommunicado.
Gen. Muhoozi’s post has triggered questions around accountability, command responsibility, and the use of social media by state actors to communicate about sensitive human rights issues.
Legal experts have noted that sharing such images, especially if done by a top military official, could one day serve as evidence in international legal proceedings.
An African proverb warns that “the house without secrets is the one that has nothing left to hide,” and the release of this photo, while painful, may have pulled back the curtain on actions that have for too long remained hidden from public view. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
