Uganda Law Society Joins Search for Missing Activist Sam Mugumya

The search for Sam Mugumya, a political activist and mobiliser for the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) party, has gained significant momentum with the intervention of the Uganda Law Society (ULS). Mugumya has been missing since his alleged abduction on August 26, 2025, while having breakfast at NIM Hotel in Mbarara City.

His mother, Ms Edinansi Katungwesi, made a direct appeal to the ULS, formally requesting their help in finding her son. In a letter dated August 3, she informed the ULS president, Isaac Ssemakadde, through Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, of her ordeal. Ms Katungwesi shared that she last saw a video and photo of her son, which offered a glimmer of hope that he was still alive but appeared to be struggling physically.

“My son Sam Mugumya was abducted on August 26, 2025 in Mbarara… from that day I have never seen him until recently when I saw a video and photo of him struggling to get up, and I got hope that he is still alive,” reads part of her letter. She expressed frustration with the lack of assistance from the police since reporting his disappearance.

Mr. Asiimwe, who met with Ms. Katungwesi at her home in Rukungiri, confirmed that the ULS has initiated actions to secure Mugumya’s freedom. The ULS is calling on authorities to present Mugumya in court if he faces charges or to release him immediately. “We call upon whoever is responsible to respect dignity and the rule of law, and to release Sam Mugumya. If he committed offences, let him be produced in court because he has rights,” Mr. Asiimwe stated, condemning the apparent mistreatment.

Mugumya, a former mobiliser for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), was reportedly taken by armed men believed to be security operatives. Despite habeas corpus applications filed by his family, authorities have not produced him in court nor confirmed his detention. This disappearance follows his return from over eight years of detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ULS has also urged the government to account for other political prisoners held without trial. The renewed efforts come after a video allegedly showing Mugumya, appearing frail, was shared by opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi.