By Mariam Nanyanzi Kyagulanyi
KAMPALA .Government has asked Parliament for more time to establish the whereabouts of National Unity Platform Vice President Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi.
Kivumbi 55, his location remains unknown seven days after his arrest last Friday evenning, prompting renewed concerns over due process and constitutional safeguards.
The Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga,on Wednesday told legislators that he more time to consult security agencies and prepare a comprehensive report on the whereabouts former Butambala County MP.
Kivumbi was arrested by armed men last Friday, a day after he had been granted bail on treason-related charges linked to the violent January 15 General Election.
Dr Kiyonga made the request during Wednesday’s plenary sitting after the Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, raised the matter as an issue of national importance.
“It is now the sixth day since the arrest, but Kivumbi’s family, lawyers and doctors have all failed to establish where he is being held,” Ssenyonyi told the House.
He said repeated efforts by the former legislator’s relatives and legal representatives to trace him had been unsuccessful, raising concerns about due process and adherence to the rule of law.
Responding on behalf of the government, Dr Kiyonga said security agencies were handling the matter but required additional time to compile a full report.
“Security chiefs need more time to prepare a comprehensive report on the whereabouts of NUP Vice President and former Butambala MP, Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, who was arrested last Friday,” Dr Kiyonga said.
He added that once the report is complete, government will present it to Parliament to fully brief both the House and the public.
The matter sparked debate among legislators, with several MPs urging government to comply with the constitutional requirement to produce arrested persons before court within 48 hours and to promptly disclose their whereabouts to relatives and legal counsel.
By Thursday morning , Kivumbi’s whereabouts remained unknown to his family and legal team.