The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has formally denied holding missing opposition activist Sam Mugumya, whose disappearance has raised alarm among human rights groups and political observers.
In a sworn affidavit submitted to the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala on Friday, Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Musasizi, Director of Civil Affairs at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, stated that a comprehensive internal search had found no record of Mugumya’s detention in any UPDF facility.
“I do satisfy and return that Sam Mugumya has not at any material time been in the custody of the respondents in this matter,” Musasizi declared in his affidavit.
The statement comes in response to a writ of habeas corpus filed by Mugumya’s legal team, seeking a court order compelling security agencies to produce him.
Musasizi added that UPDF investigators reviewed all detention facility records under military control, covering the period from August 26, 2025, when Mugumya was last seen, up to the present date.
The affidavit also noted consultations with officers under the command of the Chief of Defence Forces and the Directorate of Defence Intelligence and Security.
“We have searched all relevant detention facilities’ records and found no entry relating to the said Sam Mugumya,” Musasizi said.
“I therefore confirm that the said Sam Mugumya is not within our custody, and we do not know about his whereabouts.”
Mugumya, a former aide to opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye, has a well-documented history of arrests tied to his political activism.
His latest disappearance has prompted concern from opposition groups and human rights defenders, who suspect he may have been abducted by state operatives.
Supporters claim he vanished under suspicious circumstances, at a time when political tensions are high, and several members of the National Unity Platform (NUP) have also been reported missing or arbitrarily arrested.
Mugumya previously spent five years in detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2014–2019), where he was accused of subversive activities. Upon his return, he resumed activism and has remained a vocal critic of what he calls authoritarian governance in Uganda.
The High Court had earlier directed the Chief of Defence Forces and the Directorate of Defence Intelligence and Security to respond to the habeas corpus application. With the UPDF now formally denying custody, the burden shifts back to Mugumya’s legal team to present further evidence or seek additional court orders.
The court is expected to review both submissions before making a determination on the next steps. If Mugumya’s whereabouts remain unknown, the case could escalate into a broader legal and political standoff over allegations of enforced disappearances.
