KAMPALA — Political commentator Charles Rwomushana was reportedly taken away by a group of armed men from the premises of Radio Simba in Bukoto, Kampala, on Saturday morning, September 5, 2026, in an incident that has triggered concern and calls for clarification from Ugandans.
Video footage circulating on social media appears to show several men in civilian clothes surrounding Rwomushana before leading him away from the radio station.
At least four men can be seen in the footage, with some appearing to carry firearms. A woman is also seen attempting to intervene as the men take Rwomushana away, while other people watch.
The circumstances surrounding his removal, including the identity of the men and where he was taken, remained unclear by Saturday afternoon.
Local media outlet ChimpReports reported that Rwomushana was taken away shortly after appearing on a Radio Simba programme in Kampala, citing video footage and accounts circulating online.
Radio Simba’s premises are located on Corporation Rise in Bukoto, Kampala.
Radio Simba has previously hosted Rwomushana on its political programme “Gasimbagane”, where he has participated in discussions on Uganda’s politics and governance.
Radio Simba’s own website shows Rwomushana appearing on recent editions of the programme, including an August 29 broadcast alongside other political commentators.
No official explanation yet
As of Saturday afternoon, there was no publicly available statement from Uganda Police Force or the Uganda People’s Defence Forces explaining the incident or confirming whether Rwomushana had been arrested.
It was also not immediately clear whether the men seen in the footage were security personnel or individuals acting independently.
The lack of an immediate official explanation has fuelled speculation online, with several political figures and commentators questioning the circumstances under which Rwomushana was removed from the radio station.
Opposition politician and commentator David Lewis Rubongoya posted on X that Rwomushana had been “grabbed out of Simba Radio studios by armed men in civilian clothes,” while questioning what was happening in Uganda.
The incident comes against a politically charged backdrop in which Rwomushana’s name has recently appeared in a state prosecution case involving allegations of a plot to overthrow the government.
However, Rwomushana has not been charged or arrested in connection with that case, according to available reports.
In July, Pulse Uganda reported that prosecutors had named Rwomushana alongside opposition figures including Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, Salaam Musumba, Lubega Mukaku and former opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye in an indictment connected to allegations of a plot to destabilise the government and assassinate President Yoweri Museveni. The allegations remain to be tested in court.
Uganda Radio Network also reported this week that Rwomushana was among individuals named in prosecution material in the case involving Lukwago.
That background has intensified questions about whether Saturday’s incident was connected to any ongoing investigation, although there is currently no official evidence establishing such a link.
Rwomushana’s political profile
Rwomushana is a long-time political commentator and former intelligence operative who has remained a prominent, and sometimes controversial, voice in Uganda’s political debates.
He has regularly appeared on radio and television programmes discussing government, opposition politics and national security.
His appearances on Radio Simba’s Gasimbagane have continued in recent weeks. The station’s online archive lists several programmes featuring Rwomushana, including an August 22 edition discussing political and national issues.
The latest incident therefore raises a broader question beyond the fate of one political commentator: what happens when armed men can enter a media environment, take away a public figure and leave the public to reconstruct the story from a video clip?
For journalists and media organisations, the distinction between a lawful arrest and an unexplained abduction is not a semantic one. It goes to the heart of due process.
If Rwomushana was arrested by a state agency, authorities would ordinarily be expected to identify the agency involved, explain the basis for the arrest and indicate where he has been taken.
If the men were not security personnel, the questions become even more serious: who were they, how did they gain access to the premises and why were they carrying firearms?
Those questions remained unanswered as of Saturday afternoon.
The incident also comes only days after Rwomushana was named in prosecution material in a separate political case, making transparency over his whereabouts particularly significant.
For now, however, the central fact remains limited to what can be established from the available footage and reports: Rwomushana was taken away from Radio Simba’s Bukoto premises by armed men, and authorities had not publicly explained the circumstances surrounding his removal by the time of publication.
This story will be updated as Police, the military, Radio Simba or Rwomushana’s family and representatives provide further information.
