Ugandan police detain opposition lawmaker over alleged post-election violence

Ugandan police have arrested an opposition lawmaker and close ally of opposition leader Bobi Wine over his alleged involvement in election-related violence that erupted after last week’s polls.

The detained politician, Muwanga Kivumbi, a deputy leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), is accused by police of organising attacks on a police station and a vote-tallying centre following the party’s electoral defeat. The NUP has denied the allegations.

Police claim that seven people were killed during the unrest. However, Kivumbi has disputed that account, insisting that 10 people were shot dead at his residence while waiting for parliamentary election results.

In a statement posted on X on Thursday, the Uganda Police Force said Kivumbi would be “arraigned before court in due course,” adding that his arrest is linked to “recent incidents of political violence.”

The arrest comes amid heightened political tension following elections in which long-serving President Yoweri Museveni secured a seventh term in office.