National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has mourned the death of Ms. Sarah Nantumbwe, describing her passing as part of a growing list of families still suffering from unresolved enforced disappearance cases in Uganda.
In a statement shared on social media, Bobi Wine said he had received “sad news” of Nantumbwe’s death, noting that she was the wife of John Ddamulira, a man who was allegedly abducted from his spare parts shop in Kisekka Market in November 2020 and has never been seen again.
According to the opposition leader, Nantumbwe lived for years with unanswered questions about her husband’s fate, a burden he described as a “pain of not knowing what became of her husband.”
He added that her death reflects the long-term emotional toll on families of missing persons.
“She died carrying the pain,” Bobi Wine said, referring to the anguish endured by relatives of the disappeared, a phrase he used to underline what he termed as a recurring national tragedy.
In his message, Bobi Wine also drew parallels with the death of Ms. Monica Nabukenya, who passed away in November 2025 after a similar ordeal. Nabukenya’s husband, Kibalama Johnbosco, was reportedly abducted on Martyrs Day in June 2019, and has also not been accounted for.
Bobi Wine said both women endured years of uncertainty, hope, and prolonged search efforts that did not yield answers.
He noted that their experiences reflect what many other families across the country have gone through following alleged abductions linked to security operations.
Human rights groups in Uganda have repeatedly raised concerns over cases of enforced disappearances, urging authorities to provide information on missing persons and ensure accountability.
The government has in the past denied involvement in abductions, maintaining that any arrests carried out are within the law and subject to due process.
The latest remarks by the opposition leader are expected to reignite debate over the fate of individuals reported missing over the years, especially those linked to political activism or security-related arrests.