Kampala, Uganda – Today, the National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu popularly known as Bobi Wine addressed the nation in a press briefing that has reignited fears of enforced disappearances across Uganda.
In what he described as a “resurgence of state-sponsored abductions,” Bobi Wine accused government security agencies of targeting and abducting NUP supporters and political activists in broad daylight and without due process.
The opposition leader listed Eddie Mutwe, Mpalanyi Michael, Ssentongo Shakur and Douglas Nsambu among several missing NUP comrades.
“They are taken by plain-clothed men. They disappear into thin air only to resurface sometimes broken, sometimes lifeless. This is the reality our comrades face,” Bobi Wine stated.
He singled out a man identified as Muhumuza, a known plain-clothed operative believed to be involved in the abduction of Eddie Mutwe. The president revealed that a habeas corpus has already been filed by the party’s legal team demanding that the state either produce the missing comrades dead or alive.
Despite repeated denials from the Uganda Police Force, Bobi Wine argues that missing persons often reappear in military or police custody after weeks or months of silence bruised, tortured and dehumanized.
“How do you say someone abducted themselves, only to find them handcuffed in a court basement? It’s insulting,” Bobi Wine lashed out, referring to regime narratives blaming opposition figures for staging their own kidnappings.
Drawing from his time on Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, Bobi Wine recounted an alarming incident from the 10th Parliament where he and other MPs were violently chased away from a regime-operated “safe house” in Kyengera.
The facility, allegedly run by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) is one of several locations believed to hold political prisoners incommunicado.
“We were armed with parliamentary clearance and national flags. But what greeted us was the barrel of a gun. If you want to see the face of a dictatorship, try visiting one of their dungeons,” he said.
Bobi Wine further emphasized that these disappearances are part of a broader crackdown against what he calls the “Protest Vote” Uganda’s silent revolution against oppression, corruption and authoritarianism.
“The protest vote is not just a ballot. It is a declaration. A peaceful uprising by a people who are tired of being silenced,” he said, adding that the NUP’s mission is not only political but humanitarian.
This disturbing development comes at a time when Uganda’s international image is under scrutiny for alleged human rights violations and shrinking democratic space. Critics argue that the continued use of abductions, illegal detentions and torture undermines the very pillars of constitutional governance.
International organizations including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and local civic bodies have repeatedly demanded the closure of illegal detention centers, better transparency in arrests and legal recourse for victims and their families. But even as pressure mounts, the cycle continues young men disappear, families cry out and the silence of the authorities speaks volumes.
Also Read: MPs Accused of Forging LOP’s Name to Attend Mombasa Workshop
