CID officer charged with inciting Bobi’s bodyguard to kill Museveni with pavers
Former CID spokesperson Charles Twiine and NUP's Noah Mutwe at Buganda Road Court today. They appeared before Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi and were remanded to Luzira prison until June 5. PHOTO/ ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- He is also accused of harboring hate speech when he allegedly sent or shared a message that Speaker of Parliament Anita Among is a rotten human being and the chief sponsor of the killings and violence in Uganda’s Eastern District of Bukedea whose constituents elected her as their Woman Member of Parliament, which information, according to the state, is likely to promote hostility against the person of Ms Among.
After missing for over a week, Parliament’s CID officer was arraigned in court in Kampala on Thursday on eight offenses, including allegations that he incited an opposition party supporter to kill President Museveni, 80, and his 51-year-old son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who serves as Uganda’s military chief.
The state told Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court that between January 2024 and May 2025, at various places in the country’s capital, D/ASP Charles Twiine, through social media, incited Noah Mitala, alias Noah Mutwe, a 32-year-old butcher who sometimes acts as National Unity Platform (NUP) principal, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi’s civilian bodyguard, to attack and cause the death of President Museveni and Gen Muhoozi.
Mr Mitala was, according to the state, to kill Mr Museveni who has been in power since 1986, and his son, using pavers because of their office and political reasons.
While appearing before Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi, Mr Twiine, who kept shaking his head in disbelief at the charges being read out to him and their gravity, said: “I'm a national leader and we can do better than this. We have various offices, including my Inspector General of Police; we can do better. Thank you so much.”
In another offence, D/ASP Twiine, who, on social media (X platform) is known for attacking NUP supporters, is accused of calling Gen Muhoozi a fat pig and crook, which information the state says is likely to ridicule and degrade the person of Gen Muhoozi who is widely seen as Mr Museveni’s heir apparent.
He is also accused of harboring hate speech when he allegedly sent or shared a message that Speaker of Parliament Anita Among is a rotten human being and the chief sponsor of the killings and violence in Uganda’s Eastern District of Bukedea whose constituents elected her as their Woman Member of Parliament, which information, according to the state, is likely to promote hostility against the person of Ms Among.
The state prosecutor further contends that Mr Twiine, a former CID spokesperson, shared malicious messages through a computer claiming that the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa who also serves as Ruhinda North County (Mitooma District), is a money launderer, a masquerader, and a fraudster, which information is likely to cause ridicule and degrade the person of Mr Tayebwa.
In count six of malicious information, Mr Twiine is accused of sharing malicious information through a computer about Gen James Birungi, claiming he is a crook and a killer.
Under count seven of hate speech, the prosecution accused Mr Twine of using a computer and sending or sharing a message to the effect that Bahima are killers, which information is likely to promote hostility against the said tribe.
The last count was of conspiracy to commit a felony. Under this charge, the state contended that Mr Twiine and Mitala conspired to incite violence against Gen (rtd) Museveni and his son, Gen Muhoozi.
When D/ASP Twiine was asked whether he had a lawyer to handle his bail application, he said there had been a deliberate miscommunication by the state to his lawyers.
“If you evaluate and see that my sureties are credible, you may exercise your discretion and release me,” a soft-spoken D/ASP Twiine said.
On his part, Mr Mitala said: “We were brought here without our people knowing anything. I was arrested by six armed men at my home. They removed me from my home on May 14, and I was blindfolded…..”
The two denied the charges against them before they were remanded to Luzira prison until June 5 because the state is still gathering evidence to pin them.
Mr Twiine went missing after he drove to police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala. He had allegedly been summoned by the police leadership, but his whereabouts remained unknown until May 22, when he was driven to Buganda Road Court and was charged with eight offences.
Meanwhile, Mr Mitala was also violently abducted from his bedroom a week ago when gun-wielding men who had masked up and believed to be security operatives from the elite Special Forces Command (SFC) stormed his house as his wife took a shower at around 8 pm.
Following their disappearance, there has been an online campaign by the opposition and human rights activists calling for their immediate and unconditional release.
As the country gears up for the 2026 general election, there have been increased abductions and enforced disappearances of mainly opposition supporters, with Gen Muhoozi issuing threats to opposition supporters and asking them to support his father, who has been in power since 1986, before he takes Mr Kyagulanyi to his “basement…for Runyankole lessons” like he did to his chief civilian bodyguard Edward Ssebufu, alias Eddie Mutwe who was disappeared for days and later dropped at Masaka Magistrate’s Court and remanded with visible signs of torture.
Mr Ssebufu, a barber, was committed to the High Court trial on allegations of robbing items from journalists during a burial in Masaka.
During court proceedings, an emotionally broken Ssebufu said he had been tortured before he was remanded to prison where he was “compelled to take 12 painkillers every day” to alleviate his por health condition.
He looked frail following his alleged torture upon arrest.
Before his court appearance, Gen Muhoozi said he was holding him in his basement, where the boys (soldiers) were torturing and subjecting him to Runyankole lessons.
