Achileo Kivumbi, 42, a bodyguard for Robert Kyagulanyi, president of the National Unity Platform (NUP), appeared before the General Court Martial on August 5, 2024, to face charges of illegal possession of defense stores.
Kivumbi, who is also a security official at the NUP party headquarters in Makerere Kavule, Kampala, has denied the allegations against him.Kivumbi, who has been in detention since August 1, 2024, appeared before the military court on August 5, 2024.
He was charged with possessing military pips for the rank of lieutenant colonel, which are classified as defense stores under section 158 (1)(2) and (C) of the UPDF Act, Cap 330. The court denied his bail application and remanded him until September 2, 2024, when he will return for a case mention.
Kivumbi’s lawyers, George Musisi and Benjamin Katana, raised concerns about their client’s health, claiming that he had been severely beaten by security personnel at the time of his arrest. They argued that Kivumbi needed medical attention and requested bail so he could receive proper treatment.
The prosecution, led by Captain Alex Rasto Mukhwana, opposed the bail request but the court granted it.The defense also requested that Kivumbi’s four phones, seized during his arrest, be returned to his relatives.
The prosecution acknowledged receipt of the phones but stated they were retained for further examination. Musisi questioned the timing of the alleged offense, given that Kivumbi had been in custody since August 1, 2024, and was not in a position to possess the defense stores on August 3, 2024.
The prosecution alleges that Kivumbi was found in possession of one pair of Lieutenant Colonel pips on August 3, 2024, at East II ‘B’ Zone, Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District. These items are classified as defense stores under the law.
The current charges against Kivumbi place him among several NUP supporters who have been on remand since the 2021 presidential campaigns. This group, consisting of 28 supporters, has faced repeated bail denials following their arrests during Robert Kyagulanyi’s campaign trail.
Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, has criticized the charges against Kivumbi as baseless. Witnesses reported that Kivumbi was apprehended by heavily armed men in a vehicle with registration number UAP 164P. These men allegedly assaulted Kivumbi and forcibly took him away as he approached his home.
Bobi Wine posted on X, and expressed support for his bodyguard. Wine noted that during an illegal search of Kivumbi’s home by security operatives, Kivumbi managed to replace a rosary that had been broken during his abduction. Wine praised Kivumbi’s strength and wished for his prayers to be answered while he is in prison.
“When the thugs took our comrade Achileo Kivumbi to his house for an illegal search, the first thing he did was to get another rosary to replace the one they broke during his abduction. Thank you for being so strong, my brother. May every prayer you make while in prison be answered .”
Earlier, Bobi Wine had announced: “The criminals abducted comrade Achileo Kivumbi on August 1, and now they claim he was found with Lt. Col. military pips on August 3, two days after his abduction. This is shameless and thoughtless. These violations show just how frightened they are of the people. WE SHALL OVERCOME!”