The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has directed the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to immediately release Bobi Wine’s head of security, Edward Ssebuufu, popularly known as Eddie Mutwe, who is allegedly being held in military custody following his arrest on April 27, 2025.
In a formal order dated May 2 and signed by UHRC Chairperson Hon. Mariam Wangadya, the commission decried Mutwe’s detention as unlawful. It further warned that Gen Kainerugaba could be found in contempt of the Constitution should he fail to comply.
“Whereas Edward Rogers Ssebuufu also known as Eddie Mutwe has been in your custody since 26th April, 2025 and whereas the Commission is satisfied that he is being unlawfully detained or restricted, this is to direct you to cause the immediate release of Edward Rogers Ssebuufu from your custody failure of which, you may be liable for contempt under Article 53(1)(d) of the Constitution,” wrote Mrs Wangadya in the release order.
Mutwe, who serves as the chief bodyguard to opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, was reportedly seized by armed individuals in both civilian clothing and military uniforms as he traveled back from an event in Mukono District. His whereabouts remained a mystery for days until May 1.
Shockingly, Gen Muhoozi himself confirmed Mutwe’s detention via social media. In a provocative series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), he shared a disturbing image of a shirtless Mutwe with a visibly bloodied nose and boasted:
“He is in my basement… You are next!”
He followed it with another alarming threat: “I still have to castrate him.”
These remarks ignited national outrage. The Uganda Law Society swiftly condemned Gen Muhoozi’s actions, denouncing them as part of a growing pattern aimed at crushing political opposition.
Reacting to the viral image, National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya said:
“Shocking” and “disgusting,” adding that the image offers “clear evidence of state brutality.”
In a further escalation, Special Forces Command (SFC) troops reportedly stormed NUP’s headquarters in Kampala on May 2, blocking a planned solidarity event for Mutwe.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as tense, with the compound sealed off by heavily armed personnel.
The UHRC’s move marks one of the strongest public rebukes yet against the CDF, and may signal growing institutional unease about the erosion of the rule of law in Uganda especially with the 2026 general elections on the horizon.
However, whether the military will comply with the Commission’s directive remains uncertain.