Africa-Press – Uganda. Buyaga West MP Barnabas Tinkasimire has spoken publicly for the first time about his abduction over the weekend, detailing alleged torture, threats, and political coercion at the hands of masked captors he says demanded his loyalty to First Son Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Addressing journalists at Parliament alongside his lawyers, a visibly shaken Tinkasimire dismissed claims that he staged the kidnapping, describing the ordeal as “real and harrowing.”
“I want to categorically deny claims that I had abducted myself,” Tinkasimire said.
“I was grabbed by armed men at Rubis Petrol station in Wandegeya after fueling my car and buying maize. They hit me, covered my face, pushed my head under the chairs of their vehicle, and drove me to an unknown place.”
The MP says he was detained in what appeared to be a kitchen-like room, where ominous messages, including one reading “life is not for everyone,” were scribbled on the walls.
Around midnight, he alleges, a hooded figure flanked by heavily armed escorts entered and began assaulting him.
“They beat me while questioning why I only loved the President and not his son,” he said. “They told me to stop talking about Gen. Muhoozi, never to reveal where I had been detained, and to arrange a meeting with him.”
Tinkasimire, a longtime supporter of President Museveni, has previously been vocal in his political views but has not publicly aligned with the Muhoozi Project—a growing political movement built around Gen. Muhoozi’s potential presidential ambitions.
His abduction has raised sharp concerns about the increasing use of coercion and intimidation in political affairs.
“This kind of incident strikes at the heart of rule of law and constitutionalism,” one of Tinkasimire’s lawyers told reporters. “It will not go unchallenged.”
Authorities have not issued a formal statement on the matter, and no suspects have been identified or arrested.
Tinkasimire’s allegations add to a growing list of reported kidnappings and disappearances of political actors in Uganda, especially those caught in the power struggles within the ruling party.
The incident is expected to reignite debate over political freedom, state accountability, and the role of security agencies in internal political disputes.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
