Sam Mugumya
The Leader of Opposition in parliament Joel Ssenyonyi has renewed pressure on the government to account for missing activist Sam Mugumya, nearly a year after his alleged abduction, raising the matter on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, August 4.
Speaking during a parliamentary session, Ssenyonyi questioned the state’s silence over Mugumya’s whereabouts, citing circulating videos that purportedly show the opposition figure in detention.
He challenged authorities to present him before court if they dispute the authenticity of the footage.
“There is a gentleman called Sam Mugumya, he was taken on 26th, August, 2025, it is coming to a year now. We all have been seeing videos of Sam Mugumya. If the government, as I have seen some government officials saying those aren't true videos, why not produce him in court so that his family can take a look at him?” Ssenyonyi told Parliament.
Mugumya, a former aide to opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye and a political mobiliser, reportedly went missing under unclear circumstances in Mbarara in August 2025.
His disappearance has since become a focal point in Uganda’s broader debate over enforced disappearances and alleged unlawful detentions.
Security agencies have previously denied holding him, even as lawyers and rights groups insist he may be in state custody.
Efforts by his legal team to compel authorities to produce him in court have intensified over the past months, with habeas corpus applications filed amid claims he is being held incommunicado.
The issue has regained national attention following renewed public discussion on torture and human rights, with critics linking Mugumya’s case to a pattern of alleged abductions targeting opposition supporters.