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Worry and uncertainty surround the whereabouts of opposition activist Sam Mugumya after the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) formally denied having him in their custody.
The denial came in a court document filed as a response to a habeas corpus application submitted by Mugumya's legal team.
Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Musasizi, the Director of Civil Affairs at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, provided a sworn affidavit to the High Court, stating unequivocally that a search of all relevant detention facilities and their records found no entry relating to Sam Mugumya.
He further claimed that no officer within the directorates under their command has any knowledge of the activist's whereabouts.
I Edgar Musasizi, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), currently serving as the director civil affairs at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, in the department of joint legal services, for and on behalf of the chief of defence forces and directorate of defence intelligence and security.
I do satisfy and return that sam mugumya has not at any material time been in the custody of the respondents in this matter.We have searched all relevant detention facilities’ records and found no entry relating to the said Sam Mugumya between 26th august 2025 and to date.
We caused inquiries to be made in all detention facilities under the command of the 1st and 2nd respondents and no officer in the different units under the command of the 1st and 2nd respondent has knowledge of the said Sam Mugumya. I therefore confirm that the said sam mugumya is not within our custody and we do not know about his whereabouts
The Discrepancy with Eyewitness Accounts
Sam Mugumya
This official denial from the UPDF stands in direct contrast to eyewitness accounts from the day of Mugumya's disappearance.
Reports indicate that he was arrested in Mbarara City on 26 August 2025 by individuals in plainclothes and men wearing UPDF uniforms.
Sources claim that Mugumya was taken from NIM Motel, where he was reportedly staying.
Rights activist Agather Atuhaire claims an officer was heard on the phone speaking in the Runyankore language, asking where to take Mugumya.
Mugumya He was then allegedly handcuffed and forced to lead the officers to where he had left his phone. The conflicting narratives have created alarm among his supporters.
Supporters Raise Alarms and Doubts
Following the UPDF's court filing, Mugumya's friends and supporters have publicly questioned the military's claims.
They are now raising urgent questions about his well-being and whether he is even alive.