Lukwago is in Basement, Only Mzee Can Summon Me: Muhoozi Brags about Besigye Lawyer Arrest, Court Contempt

On a tense Monday morning in Kampala, Uganda’s political temperature surged again as Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba issued a stream of incendiary social media posts describing what appeared to be the detention of Kampala Lord Mayor and lawyer Erias Lukwago, while openly challenging legal attempts to serve him court papers linked to a widening dispute involving opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye.

The posts, shared in rapid succession on X, ignited immediate political backlash and revived long-standing fears over the shrinking space between military authority and civilian legal processes in Uganda.

The sequence began with a stark declaration that set the tone for the morning:

“I have captured a FOOL and taken him to the basement!”

Soon after, Muhoozi escalated his language in a manner that quickly became the center of public outrage:

“This one will learn Kiswahili.”

“We are still warming up the fool. Pictures soon.”

The tone then shifted further into humiliation and mockery:

“He has urinated like three times already.”

“This one needs diapers!”

As legal and political attention mounted, Muhoozi appeared to directly respond to reports that opposition figures were attempting to serve him court documents in relation to the Besigye-related case.

In one of his most widely shared posts, he wrote:

“Ngu he summoned me?? How do you DARE to utter those words? Only Mzee can summon me. This fool will learn the lesson he has been begging for.”

He followed with a warning directed at those involved in the legal process: “Please serve the papers and I’ll arrest both you and whoever serves them!”

The posts took on an even more theatrical tone shortly afterward: “We are on diaper no.2.”

Complicating the already volatile situation was a separate thread involving remarks by opposition politician Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, whose post about military and police presence around Lukwago’s residence appeared to have triggered a direct response from Muhoozi. Ssemujju had reported that security forces were surrounding Lukwago’s home to prevent the service of court papers.

In response, Muhoozi wrote: “Please serve the papers and I’ll arrest both you and whoever serves them!”

The exchange added a new layer of confrontation, with Ssemujju’s claims amplifying concerns that legal processes were being obstructed by security deployments.

The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of an ongoing and increasingly complex legal confrontation involving Besigye, in which previous reporting by both Daily Monitor and New Vision has detailed accusations and counter-accusations between opposition actors and senior state officials. The case has repeatedly intersected with claims of intimidation, alleged threats against Besigye—including earlier disputed references to hanging—and counter-lawsuits challenging the conduct of senior security figures.

In this latest episode, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) issued a series of strongly worded statements accusing security forces of surrounding Lukwago’s residence and later abducting him.

The party stated: “The cowardly regime has once again deployed military and police blockades to surround the residence of our National Chairman, Counsel Erias Lukwago! Chairman Lukwago was scheduled to speak to the nation this morning on Sanyuka TV and was prepared to legally serve court processes to Mr. Museveni’s son and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Instead of respecting the rule of law, the regime has chosen military might to shield themselves from legal accountability and choke the voices of democratic change. This is the height of state-sponsored lawlessness!”

The statement continued: “We demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of these forces from Chairman Lukwago’s home.”

Later, the party escalated its claims: “The cost of fighting for freedom, we wish to inform the general public and all freedom-loving Ugandans that our executive chairman Counsel Erias Lukwago has been abducted by state operatives and taken to an unknown destination. Our teams are on ground to follow up on this development. We shall Never Surrender.”

The PFF framed the incident as part of a broader pattern of repression, linking it to demands for the release of political prisoners and broader democratic reforms.

Meanwhile, no official confirmation was provided by Ugandan security agencies regarding Lukwago’s whereabouts, leaving a vacuum filled by competing narratives circulating on social media and opposition channels.

For many observers, the most striking feature of the morning was not only the alleged incident itself, but the manner in which it was publicly narrated by a serving top military commander in real time.

Muhoozi’s posts—unfiltered, confrontational, and at times mocking—raised questions about the boundaries between personal expression, military authority, and the administration of justice.

Critics argue that such statements risk undermining due process, particularly where court summons and legal proceedings are involved. Supporters, however, view them as evidence of a hardline stance against what they consider politically motivated legal harassment targeting state officials.

Erias Lukwago, a long-time opposition figure and vocal critic of government policy, has frequently found himself at the center of Uganda’s most sensitive legal and political disputes. His involvement in attempts to serve court documents in the Besigye-related case placed him directly in the middle of a confrontation that has increasingly blurred the lines between legal procedure and political power struggle.

As of the latest available updates, Lukwago’s condition and location remained unverified publicly, and no formal statement had clarified whether he was in custody, under protection, or had been released.

What was clear, however, was that the episode had already escalated beyond its immediate facts into a broader political confrontation—one unfolding simultaneously in courtrooms, on social media platforms, and within Uganda’s security establishment.

And at the center of it all remained Muhoozi’sdefiant line: “We are on diaper no.2.”

The arrest of Lukwago and Muhoozi’s mocking posts happened after Muhoozi reacted about Besigye’s lawsuit against him over threats to hang the veteran opposition leader. (See Details Here).

It should be remembered that some people who were taken to Muhoozi’s basement such as Bobi Wine bodyguard Eddie Mutwe have told of shocking experiences, including being injected with strange drugs and being beaten with electricity wires (solidos). (See Details Here and There).

Meanwhile, the tweeting general has also fired PLU secretary general David Kabanda and appointed new PLU CEC members, as Kabanda claims they wanted to kill him over money. (See Details Here, There and Over There).