Museveni Defends Nuwagaba, Accuses Mwenda of Diverting Attention from Security Abuses and Corruption

President Yoweri Museveni has defended Stephen Nuwagaba, a young man he said suffered torture and injuries, while warning journalist Andrew Mwenda against what he described as attempts to shift attention away from alleged crimes and corruption within security agencies.

In a lengthy statement, Museveni said Nuwagaba approached him as a victim of torture and trauma and had received medical treatment both locally and abroad.

“Having failed to destroy our promising pharmaceutical industry by calling our innovators Magoola and Senfuka con-men and declaring me senile, he has now discovered a new national emergency in Uganda. This is the young man known as Nuwagaba Stephen,” Museveni said.

Nuwagaba has in recent weeks attracted public attention after Mwenda’s Independent Magazine described him as a national security threat and called on the President to order investigations into his identity documents, alleged intimidation of government officials and use of armed state security personnel.

However, in a statement on Monday, Museveni said Nuwagaba, who is in his mid-twenties, sought refuge after allegedly being tortured and threatened by elements within the security services.

“Nuwagaba is a young man in his mid-twenties who came to me as a fugitive, a victim of torture and maiming whom some elements in the Security Services were trying to silence, including threatening with death,” Museveni said.

“He has actually been a patient on account of torture and maiming and trauma because of the torture for many of the months he has been under my care.”

Museveni said he facilitated Nuwagaba’s medical treatment, including sending him to hospitals in Uganda and abroad, adding that although his condition had improved, some injuries remained.

“The torture and the maiming are allegedly by elements in the Security Forces, some of whom are now facing charges in courts,” he said.

The President questioned whether alleged abuses by security personnel represented the values of the liberation struggle that brought the current government to power.

“The terrible thing is that these alleged torturers and maimers were belonging to our security forces. Is this what we and the People of Uganda fought for?” Museveni asked.

Museveni said security agencies must maintain discipline while fighting crime and warned against committing similar offences.

“The UPDF and the other security forces, in fighting impunity, should not commit their own crimes such as torture, extra-judicial killings, etc. Those mistakes are not moral, ideologically correct or strategic,” he said.

Nuwagaba Not Uganda’s Main Problem

The President dismissed claims that Nuwagaba posed a threat to national stability, saying Uganda’s bigger challenge was corruption and criminality.

“The reality on the ground is that the main problem of Uganda is not Nuwagaba seizing State House and the Security Forces but the criminals, including some in the Security Forces and other organs, that have been blocking the flow of information about the criminals,” Museveni said.

He accused Mwenda of focusing on Nuwagaba while ignoring wider governance challenges.

“Why doesn’t the investigative team of Mr Mwenda that is always spying on Museveni pick up the corruption in PDM, in the roads, etc.?” he questioned.

Museveni said allegations against Nuwagaba, including any personal wrongdoing, should be addressed separately from claims of abuse against him.

“If he has got problems like lying, he will account for those. However, the evil schemes of Mwenda are in always seeking to disorient the focus of the country to trivialities or to covering up crime,” he said.

The President said he had initiated investigations into allegations surrounding Nuwagaba and his family, including claims of intimidation and threats.

He also defended intelligence systems, saying both formal and informal sources have historically helped expose wrongdoing.

“The main problem of the country is corrupt or compromised security personnel, not Mwenda’s Nuwagaba, a traumatized, maimed young man, whatever personal problems he may have,” Museveni said.

Museveni said Uganda’s security forces should remain committed to protecting citizens while ensuring accountability for individuals accused of misconduct.

The statement comes amid renewed public debate over allegations of torture, security operations and accountability within state institutions.