Mother of missing activist Sam Mugumya petitions Uganda Law Society

The mother of activist Sam Mugumya has formally sought help from the Uganda Law Society (ULS) in her quest to find her son, who has been missing since August 26, 2025. Edinansi Katungwesi submitted a petition to the ULS on August 3, expressing her distress over the lack of progress in police investigations and her inability to ascertain her son’s whereabouts.

In her letter, Ms. Katungwesi stated that she had not seen her son since his alleged abduction in Mbarara City. A recent video, showing an individual resembling Mugumya in apparent distress and using a walking aid, offered a glimmer of hope that he is still alive. Despite reporting his disappearance to the police, she claims to have received no assistance.

Anthony Asiimwe, Vice President of the ULS, accepted the petition and assured Ms. Katungwesi that the organization would initiate inquiries with government bodies and security agencies to determine Mugumya’s status. He emphasized the ULS’s commitment to helping the family find him, “dead or alive,” and called for respect for constitutional rights, urging that if Mugumya has committed offenses, he should be produced in court.

Mugumya, a former FDC mobiliser, was reportedly taken by armed individuals believed to be state operatives. His disappearance follows a lengthy period of detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from which he returned in October 2022. Concerns about his well-being have been amplified by leaked footage suggesting he has suffered torture.

President Yoweri Museveni has recently addressed allegations of torture within security forces, denying authorizing such acts and attributing them to rogue elements, while warning security personnel to adhere to the law. However, human rights advocates and political figures continue to demand action and the immediate production of Sam Mugumya.