Pressure is mounting on the Ugandan government over the fate of activist and poet Sam Mugumya, after UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima publicly appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to intervene and ensure his release or lawful presentation before court.
Mugumya was reportedly abducted in August 2025 in Mbarara City by armed men alleged to be security operatives and has not been seen in public since.
His whereabouts remain unknown, despite repeated court applications and denials by security agencies that he is in custody.
In a statement, Byanyima expressed concern over the prolonged disappearance, linking it to broader fears of enforced disappearances in the country.
She also highlighted the anguish of Mugumya’s family, particularly his elderly mother, who has been searching for answers for nearly a year.
“President Kaguta Museveni, Sam Mugumya's mother is pleading for her son. Ten long months ago, he was abducted in broad daylight in Mbarara by security agents and has disappeared without a trace,” Byanyima said.
She urged the Head of State to ensure due process is followed if Mugumya is suspected of any wrongdoing, insisting that he should be presented in court rather than held incommunicado.
“If he is suspected of any offence, order that Sam is produced before a court of law, not held illegally by your army,” she added.
Byanyima further referenced past commitments made by President Museveni regarding human rights and accountability within security agencies, saying the current situation tests those promises.
“I was standing next to you when you promised Ugandans an end to disappearances, abuse by security forces, and extrajudicial killings. The test of that promise is now,” she stated.
The appeal comes amid renewed allegations from human rights activist Agather Atuhaire, who recently claimed that Mugumya may be held in an undisclosed detention facility in Entebbe, where he is reportedly in poor health and requires urgent medical care.
Those claims have not been independently verified, and authorities have not publicly responded.
Mugumya’s case has remained a subject of ongoing legal proceedings, including a habeas corpus application compelling the state to disclose his whereabouts.
Security agencies, however, continue to insist that they do not have him in custody.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about enforced disappearances in Uganda, arguing that such cases undermine the rule of law and public trust in state institutions.