Muwanga Kivumbi released on bail

What the report says

Former Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi has been released on bail after spending about 250 days in custody following his first arrest after the January 2026 elections, according to The Observer. The National Unity Platform (NUP) deputy president was granted Shs 3 million cash bail on Tuesday by Butambala grade one magistrate Aminah Wahab.

The court also required his sureties to post non-cash bonds of Shs 2 million each, ordered Kivumbi to surrender his travel documents, including his passport, and restricted his travel to Butambala except for family gatherings. His latest detention stemmed from July 2026 charges of inciting violence and managing an unlawful society.

Prosecutors opposed the bail request, saying his release could threaten public peace and security. Kivumbi’s lawyers argued that he was entitled to bail and had respected court procedures. The report says he denies the accusations and describes them as politically driven. It also notes that he had been re-arrested shortly after receiving bail in a separate terrorism case at the High Court’s International Crimes Division.

The Observer reported that his family, NUP leaders and supporters welcomed the decision at court, with opposition leader Joel Ssenyonyi and party secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya among those present. Kivumbi is expected back in court on October 29, 2026. The case remains significant because it sits within a broader dispute over election-related violence and opposition politics in Uganda.