People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) Secretary General Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has revealed that he is currently staying in a neighbouring country, saying he is monitoring the political situation in Uganda amid growing concerns over the treatment of opposition leaders.
Ssemujju, the former Kira Municipality Member of Parliament, disclosed his whereabouts in a post on X while reacting to the rearrest of former Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, who was detained a day after securing court bail.
“My brother Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, while you were away in Kitalya Prison for five months, a new order was proclaimed in Uganda,” Ssemujju wrote.
He claimed that criticism of President Yoweri Museveni’s family has effectively become a criminal offence and alleged that security agencies have adopted new methods of handling political opponents.
“In the new order, even when you are intercepted by police, it first hands you over to the military to undergo Bachwezi prison initiation ceremony in the basement. Power to arrest is no longer with Police. Rules in the new order are being issued right and left. I am also in a neighbouring country trying to learn them. I will, through our lawyer Medard Sseggona, send you a list of what I have recorded so far,” he posted.
Ssemujju’s statement comes just days after he announced that he had travelled to Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, the Islamic minor pilgrimage. Following his departure, speculation emerged that he might not return to Uganda.
The speculation intensified after Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba reportedly threatened that Ssemujju would be among the next opposition figures to be arrested and taken to what has become popularly known as “the basement.”
In recent months, the term “the basement” has become associated with allegations of illegal detention and torture of government critics. Gen. Muhoozi has previously shared images on his X account showing detained individuals, some appearing to have sustained injuries, drawing criticism from human rights advocates.
Throughout his career as both a journalist and a legislator, Ssemujju established himself as one of President Museveni’s outspoken critics, frequently accusing the government of mismanaging public resources while many Ugandans continue to face economic hardship.
Although Ssemujju confirmed he is outside Uganda, he did not disclose the country where he is currently staying.
If his stay abroad becomes prolonged, he would join a growing list of senior opposition figures who have sought refuge outside Uganda.
Among them is National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, who has remained in the United States since the conclusion of the January 2026 general elections. Kyagulanyi has said he temporarily relocated because of security concerns for himself and his family.
Political tensions have remained high over the past several months, with opposition leaders accusing security agencies of targeting government critics through arrests, detentions and intimidation.
On Thursday, Muwanga Kivumbi was released from Kitalya Prison after spending more than five months on terrorism charges. However, he was rearrested on Friday at a military roadblock in Mpigi District while returning from Butambala, where supporters had organised a homecoming celebration following his release.
Kivumbi was initially arrested after violence erupted at his home following the 2026 parliamentary elections, during which more than ten people were reportedly killed after he lost his parliamentary seat to former journalist Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi.
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