Written By | Staff Writer
Mugumya, a former aide to opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and a mobiliser for the People’s Front for Freedom, reportedly disappeared on August 26, 2025.
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KAMPALA
Parliament has given the government two weeks to explain the whereabouts of opposition activist Sam Mugumya and other people allegedly being held incommunicado.
The directive followed a fresh appeal by Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi during Thursday’s plenary sitting for the government to account for people whose cases have repeatedly been brought before the House.
Ssenyonyi expressed particular concern over Mugumya following the circulation of video footage purportedly showing the missing activist in a weakened condition.
The footage has not been independently verified, and it remains unclear when or where it was recorded.
Mugumya, a former aide to opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and a mobiliser for the People’s Front for Freedom, reportedly disappeared on August 26, 2025.
He was allegedly picked up while having breakfast at NIM Hotel in Nyamitanga, Mbarara City. Witnesses said armed men bundled him into an unmarked vehicle and drove away.
His lawyers later sought a writ of habeas corpus, asking the High Court to compel the authorities to produce him in court or account for his detention.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has denied holding Mugumya. In court proceedings, the military said searches of its detention facilities and records had found no information indicating that he was in its custody.
Mugumya was arrested while he was starting to campaign for 2026
The case resurfaced this week after new video clips circulated online.
One clip appears to show a man identified by opposition figures as Mugumya walking with considerable difficulty. Another video has been linked to former UPDF officer Lt Herbert Matanda Mabonga, who has made allegations concerning military detention facilities and the treatment of opposition supporters.
The locations and dates of the recordings have not been independently established, and the allegations contained in the videos remain unverified.
Ssenyonyi told Parliament that Mugumya was among several people whose cases required clarification from the government.
Other names raised include Christopher Godi, also known as King Zale or Kim Zero, William Walisa and parliamentary journalist Eria Jjengo.
Government Chief Whip Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said the government had already received a list of people allegedly being held incommunicado.
She told MPs that the names had been forwarded to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for investigation and that the government would return to Parliament with a response.
The issue had been raised in Parliament earlier this week. On September 29, Aceng told MPs that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had asked the Opposition to provide the names of people it believed were being held without being produced in court.
Speaker Jacob Markson Oboth directed the government to treat the matter seriously and report back within two weeks.
He also indicated that Parliament would consider a broader debate on human rights after receiving the government’s response.
Ssenyonyi welcomed the deadline but expressed concern that more people could be taken into custody before the government returns to Parliament.
Meanwhile, the Uganda Law Society (ULS) has escalated Mugumya’s case beyond the domestic legal process.
On September 30, the society said it would engage United Nations special procedures dealing with enforced and involuntary disappearances.
ULS Vice President Anthony Asiimwe said the move was intended to provide an additional avenue for accountability and international scrutiny as Mugumya’s lawyers continue pursuing the case in Uganda.
The society’s intervention followed renewed public concern over the video footage and continued uncertainty surrounding Mugumya’s whereabouts.
His mother, Edinansi Katungwesi, had earlier petitioned the Uganda Law Society for assistance in finding her son. She said she had not seen him since his reported disappearance and that the recent footage had given her hope that he was still alive.
Mugumya had previously spent more than eight years in detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo following his arrest in 2014 over allegations linked to rebel activities. He was released in October 2022 without being formally tried, according to reports.
The latest developments have placed Mugumya’s case back at the centre of parliamentary scrutiny, alongside other allegations of people being detained without being produced in court.
The government is expected to investigate the names submitted by the Opposition and provide Parliament with a case-by-case response within two weeks.
For now, Mugumya’s whereabouts and current condition remain publicly unresolved, while the authorities have not confirmed the authenticity or circumstances of the latest video footage.
