The High court in Kampala has ordered the government and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to produce opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye’s former aide, Sam Mugumya, who is allegedly being held in military custody.
Mugumya is seeking to represent Rukungiri Municipality in parliament under the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF).
On Friday, Civil Division judge Collins Acellam issued a writ of habeas corpus, directing that Mugumya, reportedly arrested by military operatives in Mbarara on August 26, be presented before a competent court within seven days.
The application was filed by Mugumya’s lawyers under Articles 23(9) and 44(d) of the Constitution, citing provisions of the Judicature Act and Habeas Corpus Rules. In his affidavit, lawyer Tumusiime Kakuru said Mugumya was picked up by security operatives and has since been detained at a military facility in Mbuya, Kampala, under the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (formerly CMI).
The court order is directed against the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the Directorate of Intelligence and Security, and the Attorney General. Kakuru and fellow lawyer Kato Tumusiime argued that holding Mugumya in a military facility without charge or court appearance was unconstitutional.
But in response, Lt. Col. Edgar Musasizi, Director of Civil Affairs at the ministry of Defence, denied the claims, saying no official detention facility was holding him and describing the application as “frivolous” and meant to tarnish the UPDF’s image.
Justice Acellam disagreed, stressing the constitutional weight of habeas corpus as a safeguard against unlawful detention.
“This writ is open to all citizens under the protection of the state. It is the solemn duty of state authorities to ensure such rights are upheld,” he said.
The judge ruled that the military’s denial did not sufficiently address the claims surrounding Mugumya’s arrest and disappearance, and ordered the state to produce him in court within seven days.
Mugumya’s tumultuous past
Mugumya, a former student leader and secretary general of the FDC Youth League, rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a close ally of Dr Besigye. He became one of the faces of the Activists for Change (A4C) movement and was central to the Walk to Work protests of 2011, often seen shielding Besigye from police and security brutality.
In October 2014, Mugumya was arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and charged with illegal entry and plotting rebellion against Uganda. He spent eight years in Ndolo military prison before being released in October 2022.
At the time, DRC officials claimed he had entered the country under pseudonyms to “fight a brotherly government.” Uganda’s repeated requests for his extradition failed due to the absence of a treaty between the two countries.
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) made numerous unsuccessful attempts to secure his release. Mugumya’s detention also drew attention at regional level, with lawyer Adam Kyomuhendo petitioning the East African Court of Justice to block DRC’s admission into the East African Community over alleged human rights violations, including his imprisonment without trial.
Mugumya has long described himself as a “hardened crusader for justice and freedom,” citing Besigye and Che Guevara as his role models.
Hmm, not comment.
I wish Anita comes here small small and sees this story vs that wicked interpretation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Concerned J, Anita Among is a shameless, sacrilegious, abominable and diabolic idol worshiper. She worships Gen Tibuhaburwa’s family who are self-confessed and equally diabolic criminals and/or religious hypocrites.
In other words, Among is but the resurrected Biblical proportion, Princess of Darkness, Madam, Jezebel.
Concerned J, agreed.
NO to the tribalistic system & UNITY under just ONE National/Common Leader are all Ugandans need to block & stop Rwandese Museveni, then form the kind of government you want!
Museveni will rule with or without fake elections as it’s powerless tribally divided ruled Ugandans who still want him are the ones keeping him on!
Akot I think you are missing the point about the understanding of African military leadership and most probably the NRM cadre judges. This print out newspaper is reporting the illegal random detention of a young African citizen by the Uganda Army. This is the African army that is claiming all over the world that as a ragtag peoples’ army on the Ganda tribespeople’s territory, it fought for human rights and to bring to this country peaceful democratic ideals in the Luweero countryside from a brutal war of atrocities for 6 years 1980/86. Nothing to do with the tribalistic system & the UNITY under just ONE National/Common Leader for the country of Uganda.
For the Uganda Army’s criminal act, it is to name such mistreatment of an individual, as frivolous. The true meaning of frivolous in the normal english language is: a frivolous person or citizen is someone who behaves in a silly, light-hearted, or unserious way, often lacking a proper sense of purpose or seriousness, and who may be seen as empty-headed or overly carefree. This behavior can be seen as childish, shallow, or lacking in any useful purpose, such as wasting time on trivial matters or activities. One surely believes that an African man going to the African bush to fight a civil war that killed more than one million souls and messed up much of the economic infrastructure of this nation was not dealing into such trivial matters as such!
If it is trivial a matter as to continue to detain people anyhow, why is this Uganda Army trying to perfect such an illegal activity now 40 years and counting?
The people in power today are corrupt and are willing to do anything to remain in full power but they care and they do what they can to create peace.
In other words, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba is a BAD MAN. His father, Gen Tibuhaburwa is also a BAD MAN: They abduct, torture and kill people.
They are VERY BAD PEOPLE.
Release uncle Sam Mugumya because, he together with Dr, Besigye had already suffered so much, especially in the hands Afande Gilbert Arinaitwe and Afande Sam Omalla, who apologized before he checked out (died) a few months ago, and is now resting in peace/pieces (RIP) in his coffin in Tororo.
How exactly does this work? As in….anyone can come up and say police or the army or so and so has abducted so and so, and the state will be put to task to produce the “abductee” even though he or she may have willingly travelled abroad or is seeking publicity for political capital or for an upcoming kivvulu (in the case of an artiste)?
Robert Atuhairwe among others, I hope you are not those aiding and abetting the inhumanity (diaboli) of abduction, torture, malicious prosecution, forced disappearances and/or the murder of innocent Ugandans.
Maybe you have to be reminded that: many right-thinking Ugandans are simply tired and fed up of the 39 years and counting of a regime of organized murderers, by organized criminals and for organized criminals.
Otherwise, have you ever put yourself in the position of the people being abducted, tortured and taught Runyankole in MK’s basement, by Gen Muhoozi’s hatchet men? Have you ever put yourself in the positions of the children, wives, relatives and friends of the abducted?
In 1977 after Bishop Janan Lowum, Former IGP Erinayo Oryema (my Uncle) and Oboth Ofumbi (all RIP), my elder brother and many other Ocholi and Langi were abducted and disappeared to date, by Amin’s Henchmen, the notorious State Research Bureau operatives. And according to you; to date we are still waiting for my brother to come back from where he willingly travelled abroad or is seeking publicity for political capital or for an upcoming kivvulu, blah, blah black sheep, have you any wool?.
Since it is (abduction, torture and disappearances), still happening now maybe it was not being carried out by by Amin’s Henchmen after all. But it was being orchestrated by Mr. M7 henchmen, concealed and deployed within the SRB to make Amin look bad and/or abominably EVIL.
No wonder the man keeps telling the dumb, deaf and blind Ugandans that his criminal revolution (SUBVERSON) started in the 70s or was it 60’s.
In Nov 2024, although they travel to Nairobi through the official Immigration channels between the Uganda and Kenya borders, but they got abducted by Mr. M7 and his son, MK’s Hench/hatchet men, and brought back to Uganda like chicken thieves, through illegal procedure and channel.
Therefore Mr. Robert Atuhairwe , was the dissappearances Dr. Besigye and Haj Kamulegeya from their Hotel Rooms in Nairobi, the art of seeking publicity for political capital or for the upcoming 2026, General Election?
Just asking.
In other words, wait until they come for you or any of your relatives. That is when you will realize that there would be no one left to speak up for your sake (courtesy of Pastor Martin Niemöller).
Wahurura bwenushi?
Guys let’s stop braging in uganda now adays words is useless that why ugandan are now suffring with voice like new born babies we are just exhausting ourself! uganda need action!
uganda need a supper sigma male like ibrahim traore not those ants to bring excellent answer on table