Political talk-show analyst Charles Rwomushana has been released after spending more than a day in the custody of unidentified security operatives who arrested him at Radio Simba on Saturday.
Rwomushana was reportedly released on Sunday night, but the circumstances surrounding his detention and release remain unclear.
When contacted by a Plus News reporter after his release, Rwomushana confirmed that he was back, but declined to disclose where he had been held or how he was released.
“Yes I am back,” he said, without providing further details.
Rwomushana was arrested on Saturday while appearing as a panelist on Gasimbagane ne Bannamwulire, a weekly talk show on Radio Simba.
According to eyewitnesses, about 10 security operatives dressed in civilian clothes and armed with guns stormed the station and put the security guards at gunpoint before ordering them to grant access to the studios.
A staff member who witnessed the incident said Rwomushana had only greeted listeners when the operatives entered the studio.
“Rwomushana had not started submitting yet. He had just greeted listeners before seeing the gun-wielding operatives inside,” the staff member said.
The witness said the operatives then grabbed Rwomushana by his collar and trousers, pushed him out of the studio and whisked him away in a waiting vehicle.
His arrest was not immediately acknowledged by any security agency, leaving his whereabouts unknown throughout Saturday and much of Sunday.
The reason for his arrest also remains unclear, although it came shortly after Rwomushana made remarks about Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s declaration that he intends to run for President in 2031.
In a BBS Terefayina programme aired on Thursday, Rwomushana discussed claims that President Yoweri Museveni had endorsed Muhoozi and would serve as his chief campaigner.
Using genetically modified organisms as an analogy, Rwomushana questioned whether Uganda was producing a political generation capable of sustaining the country’s future.
“I want to look at where Uganda is heading. You know GMOs — their seeds do not germinate. I want to look at our generation. Do you have seeds which will germinate tomorrow?” he said.
He also questioned Muhoozi’s public disagreements with his father, saying: “If you have Busuulwa’s son confronting him in the media in broad daylight, is that the seed you are going to give your children?”
Rwomushana argued that if Museveni endorsed Muhoozi’s presidential bid, the President would not need to campaign for him because the political infrastructure was already in place.
“If Mr Museveni is to endorse Rwomushana for presidency, he doesn’t have to be his campaigning manager. All he has to say is that, ‘I have endorsed.’ The infrastructure is there,” he said.
He further argued that an endorsement, if it were to happen, would more appropriately be announced by senior NRM figures such as former Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda or NRM National Vice Chairman Hajji Moses Kigongo rather than Daudi Kabanda.
“For me, I am looking at a child who confronts his parents and demands his share from the father’s wealth,” Rwomushana said, referring to the biblical Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11–32.
Adding to the intrigue surrounding his arrest was a brief post by Kabanda, the head of the office of the Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).
Shortly after Rwomushana’s arrest, Kabanda reposted a BBS Terefayina clip from the programme featuring Rwomushana and wrote: “Be careful.”
It is also unclear whether the arrest had any connection to the ongoing treason case against veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye.
Rwomushana was named in the State’s nine-page prosecution indictment against Besigye and his co-accused. The indictment alleges that the accused were involved in a plot to overthrow President Museveni’s government by force.
According to the prosecution, a meeting allegedly took place in Brussels, Belgium, involving several opposition figures and commentators, including Rwomushana, Salaam Musumba and MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda.
The State alleges that the discussions involved seeking military and security advice, planning drone strikes, acquiring surface-to-air missiles to target installations including Nakasongola, and using lethal poisons.
The indictment names Rwomushana as having attended meetings connected to the alleged conspiracy and alleges that he did not report the activities to authorities.
Despite being named in the indictment, Rwomushana was not initially arrested or charged as a co-defendant in the main treason trial.
Prosecutors have, however, indicated that he is among potential witnesses who could testify against Besigye.
With his release now confirmed, key questions remain unanswered, including which security agency detained him, where he was taken, why he was arrested and what led to his release.
No security agency had, by the time of publication, publicly explained the circumstances surrounding his arrest and detention.