Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has said he is holding opposition activist Sam Mugumya and threatened to execute him, more than a year after Mugumya disappeared following his reported arrest in Mbarara.
In posts on X on Friday, Gen Muhoozi said Mugumya was in his custody and was “fine”, but added that he would execute him.
“Yes, I have Sam Mugumya. He is fine. But I will execute him soon,” Muhoozi posted.
In another post, he said: “People are feeling sorry for Mugumya’s legs? I’m going to shoot him to death.”
The statements appear to contradict previous government and military positions concerning Mugumya’s whereabouts.
Mugumya, a political analyst and former aide to opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, was reportedly picked up by armed security operatives on August 26, 2025, while at a hotel in Nyamitanga, Mbarara City. His family subsequently went to court seeking information about his whereabouts.
In September 2025, the High Court issued a writ of habeas corpus directing authorities to produce Mugumya before a competent court to determine the lawfulness of his alleged detention.
The government and army denied holding him. A September 2025 affidavit filed in court by Lt Col Edgar Musasizi said searches of military detention facilities and records had found no evidence that Mugumya was in the custody of the respondents.
The latest statements by Muhoozi represent a significant departure from that position.
Mugumya’s case has remained unresolved. New Vision reported that although the High Court ordered investigations into the circumstances surrounding his alleged arrest and whereabouts in September 2025, no report had been filed in court by the time of its September 2026 report.
The comments also come after footage circulated online purporting to show Mugumya in a weakened physical condition. The footage has not been independently authenticated, and its date and location have not been established.
Opposition National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi, commonly known as Bobi Wine, has criticised the reported detention and called for support for Mugumya.
The developments have renewed scrutiny of allegations of secret detention and mistreatment of government critics. Human Rights Watch reported in July 2026 that Ugandan security forces had allegedly seized several critics of President Yoweri Museveni and his son, Muhoozi, and held some incommunicado before they were taken through criminal proceedings.
The concerns have also extended to former Butambala MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi. After his release on bail in July, Kivumbi alleged that he had been tortured and subjected to prolonged questioning while in detention.
Kivumbi had earlier been re-arrested shortly after being granted bail by the High Court, with his lawyer saying he was taken away by security operatives in an unmarked vehicle.
Muhoozi’s statements concerning Mugumya have yet to be accompanied by details on where Mugumya is being held, the legal basis for his detention or any charges against him.
Uganda’s Constitution provides protections concerning personal liberty and detention, and the High Court previously intervened in Mugumya’s case specifically to establish the lawfulness of his alleged detention.
