Drama broke out at Kawempe Magistrates Court on Monday afternoon when National Unity Platform (NUP) Deputy Spokesperson Alex Waiswa was reportedly seized by military operatives and whisked away to an unknown destination.
Waiswa had stepped out of the courtroom where proceedings for the case involving NUP members Eddie Mutwe and others were ongoing, when plain-clothed and armed operatives pounced on him. Eyewitnesses said he was violently pushed into a silver Toyota Noah, registration number UAK 368K, before the vehicle sped off.
Reacting to the arrest, Leader of Opposition and NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi condemned the act, saying it was yet another example of abuse of power by security agencies.
“Our Deputy Spokesperson Alex Waiswa has been violently kidnapped by the military right outside Kawempe Court. This kind of cowardice and criminality by the regime is unacceptable. They continue to target our leaders instead of respecting the rule of law,” Ssenyonyi said.
By press time, neither the military nor police had issued an official statement on Waiswa’s whereabouts or the reasons for his arrest.
The incident adds to the growing tensions between opposition figures and state security agencies, with NUP insisting its leaders and supporters are being persecuted for their political activities.
