By Spy Uganda
Kampala: On Thursday, plain-clothed personnel raided Jinja road based Victoria University offices and ‘brutally’ arrested its Vice-Chancellor Lawrence Muganga, on allegations of espionage and illegal stay in the country. The university called management termed the whole exercise as ‘kidnap’ because the security who arrested their VC never introduced themselves to him, neither did they allow him to ask them who they were and where they were taking him. It was after several hours of misery that UPDF’s PRO Brig. Flavia Byekwaso issued a statement confirming that he was in their hands.
https://youtu.be/7Is2E4KSpbY
WATCH:VIDEO ABOVE SHOWING ARREST OF VC MUGANGA
Trending videos on social media however showed plain-clothed gunmen forcing a man said to be Muganga into a type of van known in Uganda as “drone“, which is associated with abductions of government opponents.
Later, our close sources to Muganga revealed to us that the academician was arrested because he is seen as being close to the military intelligence service of Uganda’s regional rival Rwanda.
However, UPDF spokeswoman, Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso has responded to the above revealing thus; “Muganga was arrested by joint security forces in connection with espionage and illegal stay in the country. Investigations into the matter have commenced.”
Meanwhile, it remains a big question whether the National ID Muganga has is fake since that could mean that he is a recognized Ugandan citizen in Uganda contrary to Byekwaso’s allegations.
He also holds a Canadian passport valid till January 2026 qualifying him as a dual citizen of both Uganda and Canada.
Is He Arrested For Being A Muvandimwe?
Muganga is perhaps Uganda’s most prominent Banyarwanda of Rwandan ethnicity and has acted as a spokesman for a section of the community in Uganda.
Earlier this year, he led a campaign with Frank Gashumba to have the ethnic Rwandan community renamed “Abavandimwe” because he said they were being “marginalised” by the Ugandan government and denied public services such as ID cards as they are viewed as “foreigners”.
Frank Gashumba backed Muganga’s campaign, claiming ethnic Rwandans suffer “dehumanization” in Uganda.
“The violent and high-handed manner in which Dr Lawrence Muganga was kidnapped and disgraced in broad daylight amidst his students under unclear circumstances lives a lot to be desired as well as many unanswered questions,” Gashumba said on his Facebook page.