Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, the Defence Spokesperson, has dismissed claims of abductions by the Ugandan government, emphasizing that the state only carries out lawful arrests.
Speaking on Tuesday, Kulayigye clarified that anyone taken into custody by government agencies should not be considered abducted, stressing that the method of arrest may vary.
“Uganda is not the only country that has done that; even those democracies that you know, people can be arrested by people wearing ordinary clothes,” he said.
The comments come amid arrest of several opposition activities including Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro the deputy Spokesperson of leading opposition political party NUP. He was abducted on Monday while leaving court in Kampala.
Others who including Bukeni Ali, Sauda Madada, Bobi Giant are also in custody over unclear charges.
The Defence Spokesperson assured the public that arrests are not politically motivated. “No one is going to be arrested because they belong to a political party. We have had different political actors over time (since 1986) and not one was ever arrested because they are from the Opposition,” Kulayigye stated.
He further reassured citizens that concerns over individuals “disappearing” should be minimal, noting that once a person’s whereabouts are known and they are in government custody, there is no cause for alarm. “This should not be worrying us. I would have worried myself if people indeed disappeared, but once their address or whereabouts have been established after arrest and they are in the hands of government agencies, we rest,” he said.
Kulayigye also highlighted the government’s intelligence capabilities, noting that authorities have developed systems to detect unspoken threats. “It is important to appreciate that there is a government that is in charge of the country. We have built the capacity to know what you have ‘not said’,” he added.