Uganda opposition aide Sam Mugumya appears emaciated in video after year-long disappearance

Sam Mugumya, a 47‑year‑old aide to opposition politician Kizza Besigye, was abducted in Kenya two years ago and later disappeared in Uganda. In late July 2025 a video circulated showing Mugumya severely emaciated, seated on a walker. His mother, Edinansi Katungwesi, told AFP the footage confirmed his identity and blamed the government for his abduction, saying “the government is meant to protect us and has turned against us.”

Activist Agather Atuhaire and the Uganda Law Society, represented by vice‑president Anthony Asiimwe, allege the military is responsible for Mugumya’s detention incommunicado and have filed a petition demanding his release and a court appearance. The army declined to comment, referencing a September 2025 denial that Mugumya was in custody. The incident is highlighted amid concerns over a growing crackdown on opposition figures in Uganda, where President Yoweri Museveni was recently re‑elected for a seventh term.