Masaka Prison Defies Court Order to Transfer Eddie Mutwe as Military Impunity Deepens

By Uganda Today Reporter
www.ugandatoday.co.ug
Masaka | May 30, 2025

In a disturbing show of continued impunity by the security establishment, authorities at Masaka Main Prison have defied a court order directing the transfer of Eddie Mutwe, the head of the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential security team, to Luzira Maximum Prison for better medical care. The Masaka Magistrates Court issued the transfer order ten days ago, but prison officials, reportedly acting under direct orders from the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and First Son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, have refused to comply.

The NUP president, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine, sounded the alarm in a statement released on Friday:

“Ten days after the Court in Masaka ordered the regime to transfer our brother Eddie Mutwe from Masaka Main Prison to Luzira Prison for slightly better treatment, the prison authorities on the orders of Museveni’s son have refused to comply with the court order. He remains detained at Masaka where he does not have access to any serious treatment for the effects of torture, beyond the painkillers. Yes, whatever happens to comrade Eddie Mutwe including the long-term physical and mental suffering, we know who is responsible!”

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Mutwe, who was abducted by security operatives earlier this month in a manner that observers described as a “kidnap,” has reportedly been subjected to severe torture while in illegal detention before being remanded to Masaka Main Prison. Sources close to the NUP leadership have expressed grave concern over his deteriorating health, citing untreated internal injuries and psychological trauma.

The court’s order to transfer him to Luzira was seen as a minimal step towards affording him access to medical attention not available in Masaka. However, the prison authorities’ refusal to follow the directive has cast fresh light on the growing erosion of judicial independence in Uganda and the increasing militarisation of civilian institutions.

Legal experts and human rights defenders have condemned the defiance of court orders, warning that the country is sliding further into lawlessness orchestrated from the top of the military command. One senior legal analyst, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, remarked:

“When a court order is openly defied, especially on the instructions of unelected military figures, we must ask whether we are still living in a constitutional democracy. This is a violation of not just the rights of Eddie Mutwe but an insult to the judiciary and the rule of law.”

The Uganda Prisons Service has not officially commented on the matter, nor has the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) addressed the allegations that Gen. Muhoozi is issuing illegal directives to civilian institutions. This silence, coupled with the inaction, has only fueled public outrage.

Social media users and activists have revived the hashtag #FreeUganda, demanding immediate justice for Mutwe and all political prisoners detained under similar conditions. A vigil held outside NUP offices in Kavule recently was attended by dozens of supporters holding placards that read, “Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied” and “Museveni Must Obey the Courts.”

This incident is the latest in a series of clashes between the judiciary and the state’s coercive arms. In recent months, courts have ordered the release or humane treatment of various political detainees, only to be ignored or met with new abductions, creating what some have termed a “parallel regime of terror.”

As Mutwe’s health hangs in the balance, the nation watches with trepidation. Whether the state will finally respect its own laws or continue down the path of authoritarian impunity remains to be seen.

Uganda Today will continue to follow this story.

#FreeUganda | #JusticeForEddieMutwe | #RuleOfLawUnderAttack

For verified updates and eyewitness accounts, visit www.ugandatoday.co.ug.