State House and security agencies under siege

What the report says

The Independent Uganda reported on July 21, 2026, that questions have emerged inside Uganda’s security establishment about Stephen Nuwagaba, a little-known figure the outlet says presents himself as a senior intelligence adviser and military officer with direct access to President Yoweri Museveni. The Kampala-based report says Nuwagaba has used photographs with the President and First Family, State House-linked vehicles, Special Forces Command escorts and residence at Nakasero State Lodge to project influence.

According to The Independent’s investigation team, officials in security agencies accuse Nuwagaba of extortion and intimidation, including threats to send damaging reports to the President. The article gives the example of AIGP Frank Mwesigwa, Uganda Police’s director of operations, who allegedly rejected a Shs300 million demand after Nuwagaba claimed to be preparing allegations against him. The report links subsequent pressure on a woman involved in a land sale to Mwesigwa to that dispute, though these claims remain allegations reported by the publisher.

The report also says Nuwagaba’s claimed foreign intelligence background was challenged by Uganda’s Internal Security Organisation. The Independent says ISO tested his assertion that he could hack encrypted communications, gave him $1,000 and target numbers, and later concluded he had not demonstrated the claimed capability. The article further reports that Israeli counterparts found no record supporting his alleged service in Israel’s military or Mossad.

The matter matters because the allegations, if substantiated, would point to vulnerabilities around access to State House and the use of presidential proximity in Uganda’s security system. The Independent also links Nuwagaba to disputes involving State House staff and claims around exiled writer Kakwenza Rukirabasaija, but the article presents much of this through unnamed security sources and reported internal accounts.