Constitutional lawyer Medard Lubega Sseggona has narrated how the photos of his longtime friend and client Erias Lukwago which was released on the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s alleged X handle traumatized his 90-year-old mother and the entire family including his wife and children.
Sseggona, the former Busiro East Member of Parliament revealed that he saw the first photos of Lukwago in a scary and humiliating situation posted on Muhoozi’s alleged X handle while he was in the same car with Hajat Zawedde Lubwama Lukwago wife to Lukwago and his children while they were driving trying to search for the exact place where the former Kampala Lord Mayor was being detained after being kidnapped from his Wakaliga home.
“For him, it was out of excitement and he wanted to prove to the world that he is very powerful, above the law and he can do anything and walk away with it. But it was hard for me to see those young people traumatized while going through the photos of their father that were posted on social media. They know his delicate health condition, that is why they were distressed seeing him being blindfolded, mercilessly undressed as he pleaded for mercy from the mighty Muhoozi,” Sseggona said.
He added that the wife was overwhelmed as she tried to comfort her children to keep strong and pray for their father to overcome the challenging situation he was currently going through.
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He said that as he tried to comfort Lukwago’s wife and children, he remembered Lukwago’s 90-year-old mother Hajat Salimanti Nakayaga who has been surviving on the presence of his son who takes care of him
He reached out to those close to her asking them not to reveal what is going on but unfortunately, she was already informed by her neighbours who heard the breaking news via radio and television and she had already seen the photos allegedly posted by Gen Muhoozi.
He added that what Gen Muhoozi and Museveni are doing is creating irreversible hatred on themselves as individuals, their children and their entire family.
Sseggona said that what shocked them is the action of police especially at Nateete police station, Central Police Station Kampala, at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters Kibuli where they went to report a complaint of a Ugandan kidnapped and missing.
“They told us that they cannot waste their energy on entering a case of a missing or abducted person when someone has just posted on his X that he has him. They advised us to engage that person who has already declared that he has him,” Sseggona said
He divulged that police actions forced them to officially write to Maj Dr Tom Magambo the Director of CID asking him to intervene and investigate the whereabouts of a Ugandan kidnapped from his Wakaliga home at gun point but since Monday, he hasn’t yet responded to them.
According to Sseggona, Lukwago, the president of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) was kidnapped on Monday morning as he prepared to deliver Court summons to Gen Muhoozi which were issued by Justice Emmanuel Baguma of the Criminal Division of the High Court.
The summons resulted from a suit filed by incarcerated opposition strongman Dr Kizza Besigye, his political assistant Haji Obed Lutale Kamulegeya accusing Gen Muhoozi of violating their constitutional right by issuing threatening messages that he is preparing to kill them.
Gen Muhoozi was sued in his personal capacity and by last week, he was given 15 days to file his defense.
However, through his alleged X handle, Gen Muhoozi assured anyone who wishes to serve him Court documents that he is ready to arrest them like Lukwago.
Sseggona said that before Lukwago’s home was raid, suspicious boda bodas were cited at the gate of his home doing surveillance on their target and later, commandos allegedly dressed in the Special Forces Command (SFC) uniform surrounded the home. After some time, some of them jumped over the fence, entered the compound and opened the gate for their colleagues.
They forced themselves inside his bedroom where Lukwago and his wife were, ordered all the people found inside the home including Sanyuka television journalists, family members to lay on the ground and they confiscated their phones and cameras.
The wife put up a resistance and asked the commandos to introduce themselves and where they were taking her husband, she shielded him but it is alleged one of the soldiers squeezed her hand and kicked her to the ground.
Lukwago was ordered to move out of the bedroom and because of the fear, he surrendered by raising his hands up.
Sseggona assured Ugandans that no one is safe. He cited previous incidents where journalists have been badly beaten by military men and now they have turned to lawyers for practicing their professional.
He pleaded with fellow lawyers to rise up and guard their profession. He cited previous threatening messages that Gen Muhoozi posted on his X against lawyer Caleb Alaka who was representing former Speaker Annet Anita Among when her homes were raided by the military.
Lukwago’s wife also narrated how a soldier dressed as a civilian commanding the operation squeezed her hand and kicked her to the ground as she was struggling to shield her husband from being taken by armed men from their bedroom.
Sseggona said that even though Lukwago’s kidnap is both political and illegal, they will continue fighting for his rescue. He pleaded with all Ugandans to join them because no one is safe.
Sources within legal fraternity revealed to Ono Bwino that efforts to engage the former Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka the current Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs to use his political influence to rescue Lukwago are underway.
Kiwanuka is the immediate supervisor to Gen Muhoozi and lawyers think he can compromise him even though Muhoozi is still bitter and even warned through his alleged X handle that Lukwago and his client Dr Besigye for years have been fighting him.
When contacted by Ono Bwino, Kiwanuka, who was Lukwago’s classmate at Makerere university law school said that he is currently in Kyankwanzi leadership training attending the retreat of the newly appointed ministers and he is not following what is going on.
Even though Kiwanuka recently assured Lukwago that he has no problem with him, it should be remembered that he was the chief lawyer who designed his impeachment as Kampala Lord Mayor in the first term.
However, in a post on his X handle today, Gen Muhoozi disclosed that his wife convinced him to release Lukwago.
“My beloved wife Charlotte has convinced me to release the criminal Lukwago. I will release him because of my love for her,” the CDF posted.
