The family of the late Hajj Ali Lutaaya of Bugoye village in Butambala District has formally appointed Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago as legal counsel to represent Butambala County Member of Parliament Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi in his ongoing criminal case, signaling a determined legal push as the opposition legislator remains on remand.
In a letter dated January 28, 2026, and addressed to Lukwago & Co. Advocates, the family mandated Lukwago to take full charge of all legal matters relating to the case. The correspondence, signed by the head of the family, Alhaji Musa Lutaaya, authorises Lukwago to “handle the affairs in the criminal matter” and to “pursue all means regarding this matter to its successful conclusion.”
Hon. Muwanga Kivumbi, a senior figure in the National Unity Platform (NUP), was arrested earlier this month following a security operation that authorities said was part of a wider crackdown on what they termed unlawful mobilisation and incitement in parts of Greater Mpigi and Butambala.
According to security agencies, intelligence reports had linked several opposition figures to activities allegedly aimed at organising illegal assemblies and mobilising supporters in ways considered prejudicial to public order.
Police later confirmed that Muwanga Kivumbi was being investigated on allegations of incitement to violence, unlawful assembly, and suspected coordination of activities deemed a threat to public order. He was subsequently arraigned in court and remanded to Kitalya Prison as investigations continued.
The arrest was immediately challenged by his lawyers and the National Unity Platform leadership, who described the charges as vague and politically motivated. Party officials insisted that the MP had been engaged in lawful and constitutionally protected political activities, including constituency consultations and meetings with supporters.
The case has also drawn concern from human rights organisations and civil society groups, which have questioned the manner of arrest, the continued detention, and what they describe as an increasing criminalisation of opposition political activity.
With Erias Lukwago a prominent constitutional lawyer and outspoken government critic now formally leading the defence, the case is expected to take on added political and legal significance as it moves through the courts, attracting close scrutiny from both supporters and critics of the government’s approach to opposition activism.
