Following the passing of Edith Katende Mufumbiro, the wife of Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, Deputy Spokesperson of the opposition National Unity Platform, social media has been awash with claims questioning whether Ugandan authorities would allow him to attend her burial.
Waiswa has been detained at Luzira Upper Prison since September 2025, facing charges including incitement to commit an offence, unlawful assembly, and alleged military drilling.
However, Factjaja has identified misleading and fabricated claims circulating online. Some posts falsely attribute statements to Uganda Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine, alleging that because Waiswa is affiliated with NUP, “there is no law that can permit him to bury his wife.”
In an interview with Daily Monitor, Baine did not make such a claim. Instead, he clarified that:
“There is no law that specifically provides for prisoners to attend burials of their loved ones, and it is not something the prisons service has routinely done. However, if a court makes a determination on the matter, we can comply, as our primary role is to keep prisoners in custody.”He said.
Crucially, Baine did not suggest that any restriction is based on political affiliation or membership in the National Unity Platform, contrary to what is being widely shared online.
The claim that Waiswa Mufumbiro is being denied burial rights because of his political affiliation is false and unsupported. It is based on fabricated statements and misrepresentation of official remarks.
