Africa-Press – Uganda. The Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Winnie Byanyima, has publicly called on the Ugandan government to provide answers regarding the whereabouts of opposition activist Sam Mugumya, who has been missing for over three weeks.
Mugumya, a long-time aide to veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye, disappeared under suspicious circumstances from a motel in Nyamitanga Division, Mbarara City. His family and colleagues fear that he may have been abducted by security operatives.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Byanyima described Mugumya as “a son” to her family and praised his dedicated volunteer work on Besigye’s political campaigns. She urged the government to either produce Mugumya in court or release him, emphasizing the family’s right to know his fate.
“Sam Mugumya is my son. He is Besigye’s son. We motivated him, mentored him, and he worked as a volunteer on Besigye’s campaigns,” Byanyima wrote. “I join his parents to demand that the government produces him in court or release him. If he is dead, give us his body. We must honour and bury our beloved Sam. This is our right.”
Her statements come amid rising political tensions in Uganda, marked by a spate of arrests of National Unity Platform (NUP) members and allegations from opposition parties of abductions and arbitrary detentions by security forces.
Both the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have denied any knowledge of Mugumya’s detention or current location.
Mugumya, a prominent opposition figure known for his outspoken criticism of authoritarianism, previously spent five years in detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo on charges of subversion before his repatriation in 2019.
Byanyima, who is also Besigye’s wife, expressed deep concern over the continued silence from the authorities, describing it as unlawful and deeply distressing for Mugumya’s family and supporters.
She called on Ugandans and the international community to rally behind the campaign for Mugumya’s release using the hashtag #FreeSamMugumya, underscoring the urgent need for transparency and justice.
The case has intensified concerns about enforced disappearances and the security of political activists in Uganda.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
