Commonwealth Lawyers Demand Answers on Sam Mugumya

[Eronda]

The Commonwealth Lawyers Association has called for international action over the continued disappearance of Ugandan activist Sam Mugumya, urging authorities to disclose his whereabouts and produce him before court.

In a statement dated October 9, 2026, the association backed the Uganda Law Society’s efforts to locate Mugumya, a political activist, poet and former aide to imprisoned opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye.

“More than a year later, reports suggest that his family still do not know where he is, who is holding him or whether he is receiving the urgent medical care he needs,” the association said.

Mugumya was reportedly seized while having breakfast at a hotel in Mbarara on August 26, 2025.

The association cited reports that the men involved wore Uganda People’s Defence Forces uniforms.

​

It said his lawyers had pursued court action without securing answers.

“The ULS reported that Mr Mugumya’s lawyers had pursued legal remedies, including applications for a writ of habeas corpus, but had not secured an effective resolution,” the statement said.

“Despite these efforts, no satisfactory public account of Mugumya’s whereabouts has been provided.”

The association’s intervention follows footage released alongside a September 30 statement by Lt Herbert Matanda Mabonga, who described himself as a former defence intelligence officer.

He claimed it showed Mugumya severely weakened and using a walking frame.

The footage’s authenticity and recording circumstances have not been independently established. The UPDF rejected Mabonga’s allegations, describing the material as containing “forgeries, doctored images, and concoctions”.

The army had previously denied holding Mugumya. In a September 2025 affidavit responding to a High Court order, Lt Col Edgar Musasizi said searches of military detention records had found no entry relating to him.

The Commonwealth association said unsuccessful legal and parliamentary efforts had prompted the Uganda Law Society to seek outside intervention.

“The ULS has therefore sought international scrutiny, including by appealing to the United Nations, while continuing to pursue remedies through Uganda’s courts,” it said.

Backing those efforts, the association called for “Mr Mugumya to be brought before the court in accordance with the application for habeas corpus”.

It also demanded that “those responsible for his detention to account for their actions and to be prosecuted as required” and urged authorities to provide “clear information about Mr Mugumya’s location, health and legal status”.

Source: Chimp reports