Lawyer Gideon Tugume Detained

KAMPALA — Journalist and lawyer Gideon Tugume was on Monday evening picked from his home in Gayaza, Wakiso district, by uniformed men and taken to an unknown location, according to his family and colleagues.

Witnesses said the men arrived in a van commonly referred to locally as a “drone”, a term often used in Uganda to describe vehicles linked to security operations.

The Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had not commented on the arrest by Tuesday morning, and it was not immediately clear why Tugume had been detained.

The arrest came days after Tugume made controversial remarks during an appearance on Radio 4 Uganda, where he questioned whether General Muhoozi Kainerugaba was the biological son of President Yoweri Museveni.

During the programme, Tugume suggested that President Museveni should conduct a DNA test to establish the relationship, comments that sparked widespread condemnation from Muhoozi’s supporters.

General Muhoozi had not publicly responded to the remarks by the time of publication.

President Museveni has in the past warned against what he described as growing political indiscipline and abusive language in the country’s politics.

By Tuesday morning, Tugume’s whereabouts remained unknown, prompting calls from colleagues and lawyers for authorities to disclose his location and allow him access to his family and legal representation.