Concerns over the fate of Ugandan activist Sam Mugumya have resurfaced after human rights defender Agather Atuhaire issued a new account alleging that he may still be held in an undisclosed detention facility nearly a year after his reported abduction.
Mugumya was last seen in August 2025 in Mbarara City, where witnesses said he was taken by armed men in civilian clothes and military-style attire before being driven away in what locals commonly describe as a “drone van.” Since then, authorities have consistently denied holding him in custody.
In a detailed statement, Atuhaire said she recently received information pointing to his possible location in what she described as a secret detention site in Entebbe, alleging that he has been held incommunicado and in deteriorating physical condition.
“A few days ago, I received a call. Someone saw Sam Mugumya at the dungeon in Entebbe that he is being held in illegally, for almost a year now. He uses a walker that looks like the picture below,” Atuhaire stated.
She further claimed that the new information aligns with earlier testimony from Asiku Raymond, a supporter of the National Unity Platform (NUP), who allegedly shared details after his release from detention earlier in the year.
“The information corroborates what NUP supporter Asiku Raymond, who was held in the same dungeon, said early this year after his release. Raymond said he saw Sam and he couldn’t walk,” she added.
Atuhaire’s remarks have intensified concerns among rights groups, who have long accused security agencies of holding suspected political activists in undisclosed facilities without access to lawyers or family members.
She also raised alarm over Mugumya’s alleged health condition, claiming that he requires urgent medical attention that has not been provided due to his continued detention.
“They crippled Sam and have also refused to release him for him to get the medical care he needs and the love and support of his family. His 82-year-old mother has been living in anguish,” Atuhaire said.
The allegations come against the backdrop of ongoing legal efforts to trace Mugumya’s whereabouts.
The state has repeatedly told court that it does not have him in custody, despite a habeas corpus petition filed by his lawyers compelling security agencies to account for him.
Human rights defenders argue that the conflicting accounts between witnesses, former detainees, and state denials deepen concerns of enforced disappearance and lack of accountability.