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Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) chairman Odrek Rwabwogo has said President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni told him he was not aware of the arrest of a senior PACEID official and did not issue any order for the detention.
Rwabwogo said he rushed to meet President Museveni in Entebbe after learning that Matthew Bagonza, the head of the PACEID secretariat, had been picked up by security personnel.
According to Rwabwogo, he became concerned after failing to establish which security agency had taken Bagonza into custody.
He said he contacted several security institutions, including the Police, Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS), and the Special Forces Command (SFC), but could not immediately find information about Bagonza’s whereabouts.
“At 10:30am on Tuesday, I was seeing off international visitors who had been with us over the weekend and was notified that one of our officers had been picked up,” Rwabwogo said.
He explained that after unsuccessful attempts to trace Bagonza through security channels, he travelled to Entebbe to seek clarification from President Museveni.
Rwabwogo said the President informed him that he was not aware of the arrest and had not directed any security agency to take action against the PACEID official.
“The President told me he was not aware and was not the one that gave the order on the arrest of this officer and that he was going to try and find out the story and circumstances of his arrest,” Rwabwogo said.
The PACEID chairman said the response gave him relief, saying he would have been surprised if President Museveni had personally ordered what he described as an unexpected arrest.
Rwabwogo defended President Museveni’s record, saying the President has over the years supported due process and proper procedures when handling disputes.
The remarks have created a contrast with statements made by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who earlier claimed that President Museveni had authorised action against officials at PACEID.
Gen Muhoozi had announced that government had started arresting individuals within PACEID whom he accused of wrongdoing.
“We have started arresting the criminals in PACEID. Mzee has told me to get all of them,” Gen Muhoozi said in a statement shared on social media.
The CDF had earlier described PACEID as an organisation that should no longer be engaged by government institutions and warned against continued dealings with the group.
The arrest of Bagonza increased public attention after Gen Muhoozi shared a photograph of him and confirmed that he was in custody.
Gen Muhoozi later warned Rwabwogo against contacting security officers without his approval, saying such actions would not be tolerated.
“The next time Odrek dares to call any security officer without my approval he will be arrested,” Gen Muhoozi stated.
The circumstances surrounding Bagonza’s arrest, including the security agency involved and the reasons behind the detention, have not been publicly explained.
Rwabwogo maintained that PACEID follows legal procedures when dealing with accusations or disagreements involving its officials.
He said the organisation believes in using established institutions and respecting constitutional rights when addressing disputes.
PACEID operates under the Office of the President and was established to support Uganda’s export growth, improve product standards and help identify international markets for Ugandan goods.
Rwabwogo, who is also a presidential adviser and son-in-law to President Museveni, chairs the committee and has previously been involved in discussions on economic development and trade promotion.
The developments have sparked public debate over the relationship between government institutions, security agencies and organisations working under the Office of the President.
