Eddie Mutwe, the long-time bodyguard of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, was formally charged with robbery on Monday in a highly tense court appearance marked by disturbing allegations of torture and procedural irregularities.
Appearing before Grade One Magistrate Abdallah Kayiza at Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court, Mutwe was charged with simple and aggravated robbery, stemming from an incident in Manja village, Lwengo District.
His co-accused and fellow bodyguard, Achileo Kivumbi, faces similar charges.
Mutwe, who was allegedly abducted last week, was brought to court under tight security, barefoot and visibly in pain.
His lawyer, Magallena Kazibwe, accused security operatives of subjecting him to extreme torture while in custody.
“He says he was tortured five times a day—beaten with electric wires, electrocuted, and had his private parts squeezed,” Kazibwe told reporters outside the courtroom.
“He is in a deplorable state.”
Kazibwe further decried what she described as obstruction of legal access, claiming she was barred from the court compound for over 40 minutes while police awaited "orders from Kampala" before allowing her in.
Magistrate Kayiza ordered that Mutwe be remanded to Masaka Prison due to his condition.
No plea was entered, and further proceedings are expected in the coming days.
The developments come amid renewed scrutiny of Uganda’s security forces following a week of online uproar, after First Son and CDF Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba posted cryptic remarks on X suggesting he had Mutwe “in his basement,” being “taught Runyankore” and forced to salute a portrait of President Museveni.
These comments coincided with images shared online of a semi-naked man resembling Mutwe, drenched in sweat and shaved of his trademark beard—sparking widespread condemnation.
Human rights advocates and opposition leaders have long accused the government of using abductions, torture, and politicized prosecutions to silence dissent.
With Mutwe’s case now in court, both the charges and the allegations of abuse are expected to remain flashpoints in Uganda’s intensifying political climate.