On January 26, 2023 during the National Resistance Movement’s liberation day celebrations in Jinja, a one Moses Ssimbwa made headlines when he openly confessed to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni that he was used by the opposition to defame government with torture claims.

Mr. Ssimbwa made the confession after being paraded before President Museveni during the 38th NRM Victory Day anniversary celebrations that were held in Jinja City.

“I’m a victim whom they took to Nairobi to claim that I was tortured by the Ugandan government.  I’m here to ask for forgiveness for all that happened. The politicians use us because we want money. I am here today to expose the dirty linen of the opposition,” Mr. Ssimbwa, a former National Unity Platform (NUP) member, informed Gen. Museveni.

“They took me to Nairobi and told me I was being taken to a hospital. They promised me a number of things. When I reached there, I realized I was being taken to a conference. They told me to say in the conference that the government had tortured me. I said so because I needed money.  Mr. President, I’m very sorry for all that I did. I spent 3 years in hiding until I called Hon.  Babalanda for help because my health situation was not good. My leg got injured in the accident but not torture,” he added.

Mr. Ssimbwa further claimed  that the opposition uses the “drone” cars to abduct their members in order to taint the image of the government.

In response, President Museveni said the government was aware of the opposition that uses some Ugandans for their ill and selfish motives.

“We, in the security system that we know and at the right time we are going to expose this bogus group, the opposition. They go talk with Europeans to see how to force Uganda to be a foreign puppet, but they don’t know how strong the NRM is,” he asserted.

In 2022, Mr. Kirunda Faruk, the Deputy Press Secretary to H.E the President was the first person to punch holes in testimonials of victims of torture, explaining that the fake accusations by the opposition were aimed at damaging the Ugandan government’s image.

He said, Ssimbwa who was paraded at the much publicized ‘Uganda Human Rights Accountability Conference’ in Nairobi as a proof of torture cases, happened to have suffered an accident in 2021 and he was a well known individual in Jinja with common people testifying about his boda accident.

“They say lies take the elevator but truth takes the stairs and arrives faster’. The case of Moses Ssimbwa, a well known accident victim from Jinja paraded as a victim of torture in Nairobi is one such glaring example. Big Shame!” Mr. Kirunda posted on his official X account,  formerly Twitter.

On November 17, 2022, National Unity Platform leaders held a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, dubbed ‘Uganda Human Rights Accountability Conference’ claiming dozens of their supporters were killed or maimed during and in the aftermath of the November 18, 2020 senseless riots.

At the event, one of the victims paraded was Ssimbwa, a renown opposition supporter in Jinja who suffered an accident when he collided with a Subaru which was overtaking a sugarcane truck at Bukeeka, along Kangulumira -Njeru road mid 2021.

The accident left him with broken legs and his damaged TVS motorcycle was parked at Njeru police station for almost a year as Ssimbwa recovered from Jinja Main Hospital and later sought further treatment in Kumi. Upon recovery, Ssimbwa claimed his motorcycle and was returned to him.

Ssimbwa expose, comes at a time NUP leaders including Robert Kyagulanyi have heightened accusations against Uganda as a state instigating torture against opposition supporters. President Yoweri Museveni has personally condemned torture and warned individuals of consequences when found guilty.

Following Mr. Ssimbwa’s confession yesterday, Mr. Kirunda said the incident exposed the wicked schemes of malicious politicians to discredit the NRM government and President Museveni.

“The truth has prevailed today. Mr. Moses Ssimbwa, who was paraded by Ugandan opposition leaders in Nairobi as a victim of state torture yet he was a victim of a boda boda accident, has exposed the wicked schemes of malicious politicians to discredit Govt and President @KagutaMuseveni. When I initially exposed them, I was attacked by @NUP_Ug supporters. Let’s wait for them to abuse Ssimbwa, but the truth cannot be hidden forever.”