Eddie Mutwe, a prominent Ugandan opposition activist and chief bodyguard to opposition leader Bobi Wine, has appeared in court showing signs of torture after reportedly being detained by the country’s top military official.
Uganda’s Justice Minister stated that Mutwe appeared “visibly weak” and bore clear signs of physical abuse during his court appearance. His lawyer added that Mutwe had been tortured daily during his detention.
Mutwe went missing on April 27 after being abducted by armed men near Kampala, according to Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP). Days later, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba—the son of President Yoweri Museveni and head of Uganda’s armed forces—claimed on social media to have personally captured Mutwe.
Kainerugaba posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had seized Mutwe “like a grasshopper,” referred to him as a “punching bag,” and even said he had beaten him and shaved his head, comments widely seen as an open admission of abuse.
Mutwe’s case has sparked renewed outrage among human rights groups and opposition supporters, who accuse Uganda’s government of escalating repression against dissenting voices.
