A tense exchange unfolded in Parliament on Wednesday, June 10, as Nakawa West MP and Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi demanded accountability over the continued disappearance of National Unity Platform (NUP) associate John Bosco Kibalama, who has been missing since 2019.
Raising the matter on the floor of the House, Ssenyonyi questioned government’s handling of reported abductions and pressed Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to provide clear answers on the whereabouts of Kibalama and other individuals alleged to have disappeared under unclear circumstances.
“There is a gentleman called John Josco Kibalama, he was abducted on 3rd June 2019 and it has been 7 years since. The Prime Minister told us John Bosco Kibalama was arrested, up to now government has not accounted for him and 17 others,” Ssenyonyi told Parliament.
He insisted that government had previously indicated Kibalama was in custody, but had since failed to provide further details on his status or location, a claim that has remained a recurring point of dispute between the opposition and state authorities.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja responded by referencing a different individual and location, saying, “In a place called Kavule, there is our chairman man called Kibalama and that’s the man I meant.”
The response immediately triggered concern from the opposition benches, with Ssenyonyi urging the Prime Minister to treat the matter with seriousness and avoid confusion in a matter involving a missing person.
“Please don’t mock this House. We are waiting for the responses,” Ssenyonyi responded, signaling frustration over what he termed as an inadequate explanation from the government side.
The exchange added fresh tension to long-standing allegations of enforced disappearances involving opposition-linked figures, a subject that has repeatedly surfaced in parliamentary debates and human rights discussions.
Kibalama, who is associated with the National Unity Platform political movement, is among several individuals whose disappearance has remained unresolved for years, with families and political actors continuing to demand accountability.
Human rights defenders and opposition leaders have previously accused state agencies of failing to transparently investigate such cases, while government officials have consistently maintained that investigations into security-related matters are ongoing.
The matter is expected to continue drawing political attention as pressure mounts on the executive to provide comprehensive answers on the fate of all reported missing persons.