Kampala. Senior counsel and former Busiro East MP Medard Lubega Ssegoona has described the situation of former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago as “worrying”, saying it raises grave concerns for his life, freedom and mental wellbeing.
Ssegoona, who also represents Lukwago legally, said on Tuesday that what is even more disturbing is the manner in which the authorities have treated the arrest as a joke.
“It is worrying about his life, it is worrying about his freedom, it is worrying about the mental anguish unto him and his family,” Ssegoona said, adding that it was shocking that some officials appeared to derive joy from Lukwago’s ordeal. He argued that in 2026, at a time of rapid technological advancement, it was shameful that state actors could openly “derive happiness in torturing another human being” and boast that they are above the law, beyond the reach of even the courts.
Lukwago,56 who is lead defence lawyer in the treason case involving jailed veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and his political ally Hajj Obeid Lutale, was arrested by the military from his home in Wakaliga, Kampala, on Monday. His arrest followed a lawsuit filed by Besigye against the Chief of Defence Forces and First Son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, over comments in which Muhoozi warned he would hang Besigye, accusing him of attempting to assassinate President Yoweri Museveni.
Following Lukwago’s arrest, Muhoozi posted on social media platform X: “Ngu (that) he summoned me?? How do you DARE to utter those words? Only Mzee can summon me. This fool will learn the lesson he has been begging for.” He later shared a photograph of Lukwago blindfolded, further fuelling public outrage.
The Uganda Law Society, the East Africa Law Society and several human rights activists have strongly condemned Lukwago’s detention and demanded his immediate release, arguing that it undermines the rule of law and fair trial rights. Kenya’s former Justice Minister and lead defence counsel in the Besigye treason case, Martha Karua, said Lukwago’s arrest is yet another sign that respect for the rule of law in Uganda has been gravely eroded.On Tuesday evening Gen Kainerugaba said his wife Charlotte “had convinced him” to release Lukwago and promised to hand him over to police is legally supposed to arrest people who are deemed to have committed an offence.