Lawyers representing detained opposition figures Dr. Kizza Besigye and Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya, led by Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua, are demanding answers regarding the whereabouts of their colleague, Erias Lukwago.

According to the legal team, Lukwago was arrested from his home on the morning of June 15 and taken to an undisclosed detention facility. They say his whereabouts remain unknown.

Speaking at the headquarters of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) in Kampala, lawyer Priscovia Kunihira issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government, demanding that Lukwago be released unconditionally or produced before a competent court of law.

Kunihira also questioned the silence of Deputy Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, arguing that lawyers operate within the framework of court orders and that the judiciary should speak out against actions that undermine judicial processes and disregard court directives.

Meanwhile, PFF Buganda Vice Chairperson Lulume Bayiga urged Ugandans not to remain silent in the face of what he described as increasing violations of rights and freedoms.

Bayiga further called on President Yoweri Museveni and Gen. Salim Saleh to intervene and restrain Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, whom he accused of fueling the current political tensions.

The demands come amid growing concern from legal practitioners, political actors, and civil society groups over Lukwago’s reported detention and the broader implications for the rule of law and civil liberties in Uganda.

By Olivia Nabaggala

16ht June 2026

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