Museveni Defends Nuwagaba, Orders Investigation Into Alleged Torture

Kampala, August 3, 2026 - Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has rejected claims that Stephen Nuwagaba, a young man who has recently attracted attention in the country, represents a major national security threat, saying instead that he sought his protection after allegedly being tortured and abused by security personnel.

In a statement on August 3, Museveni said Nuwagaba, who is in his 20s, approached him after allegedly fleeing security officials who had tortured him and attempted to silence him. The president accused some members of the security forces of attacking Nuwagaba, abusing his mother and intimidating his father, who had recently been re-elected unopposed as a village-level LC-1 leader. Museveni said Nuwagaba sustained physical and psychological injuries and has undergone treatment in Uganda and abroad, with his condition now improving although he continues to show signs of his ordeal.

Museveni said allegations surrounding Nuwagaba’s treatment will continue to be investigated and that individuals found to have committed criminal acts could face prosecution. He strongly condemned torture, abuse and extrajudicial killings within security agencies, arguing that such practices contradict the principles for which the National Resistance Army (NRA) fought during Uganda’s liberation struggle from 1981 to 1986.

The president recalled the violence and abuses associated with the regime of Idi Amin and said the NRA’s struggle was intended to prevent such practices from returning. He stressed that security agencies have a duty to fight crime and prevent impunity, but must operate within the law. “Security forces must fight criminals and end impunity, but they must not commit crimes that involve torture or killing people,” he said.