The Uganda Police Force has firmly stated that it is not holding National Unity Platform (NUP) Deputy President for Buganda and Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, even as videos circulate showing him being stopped by security personnel at a checkpoint.

In an affidavit submitted to the High Court Civil Division in response to Kivumbi’s habeas corpus application, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Godwin Tumugumye, representing the Inspector General of Police, asserted that the legislator is not in police custody.

“I know that the Applicant was not arrested by officers under the command or supervision of the Inspector General of Police, nor is there any record indicating any operation involving the arrest or detention of the Applicant by the Uganda Police Force,” ACP Tumugumye declared in the sworn statement.

Police acknowledged that Kivumbi’s vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint but maintained that he was neither arrested nor detained.

“Whereas it is true that the Applicant’s motor vehicle was stopped at a Police checkpoint, he was not arrested, abducted or detained by the Uganda Police Force,” the affidavit reads.

ACP Tumugumye added that checks across various police units and stations revealed no records showing that Kivumbi has ever been held by the force.

The police also downplayed social media claims about his whereabouts, stating that such posts do not prove he is in custody.

According to the affidavit, Kivumbi’s legal team failed to provide sufficient documentary or testimonial evidence to show that the Inspector General of Police is unlawfully detaining him — a crucial requirement for granting a writ of habeas corpus.

Tumugumye urged the High Court to dismiss the application against the IGP, including costs, arguing that the writ can only be issued with credible proof of unlawful detention.

Kivumbi’s lawyers, however, insist that security personnel intercepted the opposition MP at a checkpoint along the Kampala–Masaka Highway in Mpigi District shortly after he was granted bail by the High Court.

Videos widely shared online appear to show uniformed officers surrounding his vehicle before he was taken away. His whereabouts have since remained unknown.

The High Court is set to rule on the habeas corpus application, which seeks to compel security agencies to produce Kivumbi in court or account for his location.

Kivumbi has now been missing for 11 days, having reportedly disappeared just one day after his release on bail.

He had spent 169 days in remand on charges linked to post-election violence in Butambala District following the January 16, 2026 General Election, during which more than seven people were killed.

His latest disappearance occurred less than 24 hours after regaining freedom.

Some observers suggest that remarks he made to the press upon release may have triggered the incident, though security agencies have offered no official explanation.