A TOP opposition figure in Uganda has been detained on the orders of the army chief, whose increased role in his father’s administration has worried opposition and human rights activists.

Erias Lukwago, a former mayor of the Ugandan capital Kampala, was taken from his house by armed soldiers on Monday after he had sought to serve General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is army chief and the president’s son, with court papers related to General Kainerugaba’s threats against another opposition figure, Kizza Besigye.

Mr Lukwago is the attorney for Mr Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate who faces treason charges in a case his supporters see as politically motivated.

General Kainerugaba said on social media that Mr Lukwago had crossed the line in pursuing a case against him and that he was holding him.

“This fool will learn the lesson he has been begging for,” he said. 

He later posted photos of a blindfolded Mr Lukwago appearing to beg for mercy.

Before his arrest, Mr Lukwago told reporters he had been trying to hold Kainerugaba accountable for his alleged role in the violation of Besigye’s rights — including his abduction in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, in November 2024 and his subsequent imprisonment without bail in Uganda.