Human rights activist David Musiri has reportedly been taken by armed men who raided his home along Salaama Road in Kampala, raising fresh concern over alleged abductions of political activists and commentators.
The incident reportedly happened on Saturday morning in Makindye Division.
National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya raised the alarm, saying heavily armed operatives had taken Musiri from his residence.
“Activist Musiri David also apparently taken away by heavily armed operatives from his home on Salaama Road this morning. Very unfortunate times we’re living in,” Rubongoya posted.
Academic and activist Stella Nyanzi also expressed concern over Musiri’s reported disappearance.
As of Saturday morning, there was no publicly confirmed information about the identity of the men, where they had taken Musiri or whether he had been booked at a police station. Police and military authorities had not issued a specific statement explaining the incident.
The reported disappearance comes hours after political analyst Ronald Leonard Egesa was reportedly taken by armed men from the Radio One premises in Kampala on Friday evening.
Egesa had reportedly just appeared on a political discussion programme on Akaboozi FM when the men seized him and drove away in an unmarked white van.
The Uganda Law Society condemned the incident, saying it had obtained surveillance footage showing the operation. The lawyers’ body demanded that authorities disclose Egesa’s whereabouts and called for his immediate release.
The two reported incidents have renewed concerns about the safety of political commentators and activists.
Who is David Musiri?
Musiri came into the public spotlight through student activism at Makerere University, where he challenged the institution’s policy of increasing tuition fees by 15 per cent annually.
He joined the university in 2017 to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree but took eight years to complete the programme following repeated suspensions linked to his involvement in student demonstrations.
In an interview published by The Observer in January 2025, Musiri said he had been suspended four times. He graduated later that month.
His activism later extended into national politics through the People Power movement and the National Unity Platform, where he served as head of institutions, coordinating political activities among students.
In October 2025, Musiri announced that he was leaving NUP to join the Democratic Front, led by Mathias Mpuuga. He subsequently pursued a parliamentary bid in Makindye West ahead of the 2026 elections.
Musiri has previously spoken about an alleged abduction in 2021. In an account published by Pulse Uganda, he said armed men held him for four days, beat him and questioned him about opposition activities.
He has also participated in environmental rights campaigns. On November 11, 2026, he spoke outside Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court during proceedings involving activists arrested over protests against Uganda’s oil sector. He criticised the handling of their cases and called for greater judicial independence.
His reported disappearance on Saturday has therefore drawn attention from political and environmental rights circles.
However, the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear. The immediate questions are where Musiri is being held, who took him and whether authorities are aware of his whereabouts.
