The High Court has given the State three weeks to account for the whereabouts of missing opposition activist Sam Mugumya, with Justice Simon Peter Kinobe warning that senior security officials could be summoned to court for failing to comply with previous orders.
During proceedings, the State maintained that Mugumya is not in the custody of security agencies but requested more time to investigate video footage purportedly showing a frail man resembling the activist.
Justice Kinobe expressed concern over the failure by security agencies to file an investigation report as earlier directed by the court, despite more than a year having passed since Mugumya’s reported disappearance. The judge warned that responsible officials, including top security commanders, could face contempt proceedings if court directives continue to be ignored.
Mugumya, a prominent opposition activist and former aide to Dr. Kizza Besigye, reportedly disappeared on August 26, 2025, after being taken away by armed men while having breakfast at a hotel in Mbarara City. His family, lawyers and rights activists have since demanded that authorities disclose his whereabouts and produce him before court.
The case has attracted renewed scrutiny following the circulation of videos allegedly showing Mugumya in a weakened condition, further intensifying calls for accountability over alleged enforced disappearances.
The matter was adjourned to November 30, when the State is expected to file its report and update the court on efforts to establish Mugumya’s whereabouts.
