Alleged new video of crippled Sam Mugumya sparks worry

A video purportedly showing detained opposition activist Sam Mugumya in a frail physical condition has triggered concern on social media, nearly a year after his reported disappearance.

The footage, which began circulating online around July 31, 2026, has been shared widely by opposition supporters and activists. It allegedly shows Mugumya struggling to move without assistance and relying on a walker or crutches.

However, the video's authenticity has not been independently verified. There has not been any confirmation of when or where it was recorded, or whether it indeed shows Mugumya. 

Ugandan security agencies had not publicly commented on the footage by the time of publication.

Mugumya, a member of the People's Front for Freedom (PFF) and former aide to Dr Kiiza Besigye, was reportedly abducted on August 26, 2025, by armed men believed to be military personnel and plain-clothed operatives at a hotel in Mbarara.

His lawyers later filed a habeas corpus application, arguing that he was being held illegally by the military. 

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) denied having him in custody, telling court they had searched their detention facilities and found no record of him. Police also denied knowledge of his whereabouts.

His family has maintained that they have had no contact with him since his disappearance, while his elderly mother has repeatedly appealed for his release.

Those circulating the latest video claim it shows Mugumya inside an underground detention facility, described by some as a "basement" linked to the Special Forces Command. 

The footage shows a visibly thin man who struggles to stand and walk.

Some opposition supporters have alleged that his condition points to torture, claiming he suffered broken or paralysed legs, broken ribs and severe malnutrition. 

One of Mugumya's associates claimed the clothes seen in the video matched those he wore on the day he disappeared, which they say supports the footage's authenticity.

Reacting to the footage, the People's Front for Freedom accused the government of concealing Mugumya's whereabouts.

"The People's Front for Freedom is outraged, though tragically unsurprised by the leaked video footage currently circulating online that reveals the distressing physical condition of our brother and comrade, Sam Mugumya," the party said.

"For months, the regime and its security apparatus have maintained a cold-hearted campaign of lies and denials, claiming total ignorance of Sam's whereabouts despite eyewitness accounts confirming his abduction by state security operatives."

The party added that the footage appeared to confirm its fears that Mugumya had been tortured.

"Physical injuries can break limbs, but they cannot break the spirit of a people determined to claim their freedom. Sam Mugumya must be freed now," it said.

The alleged footage has renewed calls from activists for Mugumya to be produced before court, granted access to lawyers and family members, and allowed immediate medical treatment if he is indeed in custody.

Earlier court proceedings saw Justice Collins Acellam order that Mugumya be produced, stressing the importance of protecting personal liberty where there is no evidence of lawful detention. The UPDF, however, maintained that it was not holding him.

Mugumya previously spent more than eight years in military detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo before he was released in 2022. His disappearance last year and the latest unverified video have intensified demands for independent investigations into his whereabouts and condition.