Pressure continued mounting on Ugandan authorities Monday after the Uganda Law Society (ULS) demanded the immediate release of veteran opposition lawyer and politician Erias Lukwago following his reported abduction by armed men in Kampala.
Lukwago, a former Kampala Lord Mayor and acting president of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), was allegedly picked up from his Wakaliga residence by heavily armed operatives traveling in two white Toyota Hiace vans, locally known as “drones.”
The Uganda Law Society condemned the operation, calling it a dangerous escalation in attacks against lawyers and opposition figures.
“We demand his unconditional release within 24 hours,” ULS Acting Secretary General Babu Ssali said during a press briefing. “The continued targeting of advocates and political actors threatens the rule of law and constitutional order.”
According to relatives and close associates, the operation happened in the early morning hours after suspicious security activity had reportedly been noticed around Lukwago’s home. Family members say armed men entered the residence and forcefully took him to an unknown destination.
By Monday evening, neither police nor military authorities had officially confirmed holding Lukwago.
The incident immediately sparked outrage among opposition supporters and civil society activists, with many drawing comparisons to previous cases involving enforced disappearances and illegal detentions of government critics.
Kenyan lawyer and former justice minister Martha Karua joined the growing criticism, suggesting Lukwago’s reported arrest could be connected to his legal work involving opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye and recent human rights-related court actions.
The Uganda Law Society warned that if Lukwago is not produced before court or released, it could pursue legal action both locally and internationally, including petitions before international human rights institutions.
Lukwago remains one of Uganda’s most prominent opposition lawyers and a long-time critic of the government, frequently representing activists and political detainees in high-profile cases.
The reported abduction comes amid rising political tensions and renewed scrutiny over security operations targeting opposition figures ahead of an increasingly heated political season.
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