Uganda Parliament demands answers over missing activist Sam Mugumya

Uganda’s Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, has demanded that the government account for the whereabouts of opposition activist Sam Mugumya following the circulation of distressing video footage. The clips, which appeared on social media, reportedly show Mugumya in a disabled state, struggling to walk.

Mugumya, a former aide to politician Dr. Kizza Besigye, was reportedly abducted from a hotel in Mbarara City in August 2025. While the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) previously denied holding him in an affidavit, political figures such as Robert Kyagulanyi have alleged that Mugumya is being detained in a safe house in Entebbe.

Ssenyonyi noted that Parliament has repeatedly sought explanations regarding individuals reported missing, abducted, or held without being produced in court. He emphasized that if individuals have committed offenses, they should be formally charged and produced in court rather than held in undisclosed locations.