Parliament Gives Government Two Weeks To Account For Missing Opposition Activist Sam Mugumya

Parliament has given the government two weeks to provide an explanation on the whereabouts of opposition activist Sam Mugumya and several other people alleged to have been detained without being produced before court. The directive followed renewed concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi during Thursday’s plenary sitting.

Ssenyonyi singled out Mugumya after video footage circulated online appearing to show a man whom opposition figures identified as the missing activist in a weakened condition. The footage has not been independently verified, and details about when or where it was recorded remain unclear.

Mugumya, a former aide to opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and mobiliser for the People’s Front for Freedom, reportedly disappeared on August 26, 2025. He was allegedly taken by armed men while having breakfast at NIM Hotel in Nyamitanga, Mbarara City, and reportedly forced into an unmarked vehicle. His lawyers later petitioned the High Court for a writ of habeas corpus seeking his production or an explanation for his alleged detention.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has denied holding Mugumya, telling court that searches of its detention facilities and records did not establish that he was in military custody. The matter has nevertheless returned to the spotlight following the circulation of the new footage, alongside another video linked to former UPDF officer Lt Herbert Matanda Mabonga. The claims contained in the recordings and their connection to Mugumya have not been independently established.

Government Chief Whip Dr Jane Ruth Aceng told Parliament that authorities had received a list of people alleged to have been held incommunicado and that the names had been forwarded to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for investigation. Speaker Jacob Markson Oboth directed the government to treat the matter seriously and report back within two weeks, while indicating that Parliament could consider a wider debate on human rights after receiving the government’s response. Other names raised in Parliament included Christopher Godi, also known as King Zale or Kim Zero, William Walisa and parliamentary journalist Eria Jjengo.

The Uganda Law Society has also taken steps to escalate Mugumya’s case, saying it would engage United Nations special procedures dealing with enforced and involuntary disappearances. His mother, Edinansi Katungwesi, has previously sought assistance in locating her son and said the latest footage had given her hope that he could still be alive. For now, Mugumya’s whereabouts and the authenticity and circumstances surrounding the latest videos remain publicly unresolved, with the government expected to provide Parliament with a detailed response within two weeks.