Uganda’s Ongoing Enforced Disappearances are a Threat to Human Rights
According to the Secretary General of the National Unity Platform (NUP), the main opposition party in Uganda, over 200 persons have been abducted and their whereabouts are unknown. This statement was made during an X Space organised by the NUP on 4 May 2025,
Yet, Uganda is a State Party to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, having ratified it in April 2022. The Convention under Article 1 (1) and (2) explicitly states that no exception whatsoever may justify any enforced disappearance, and it obliges states to investigate such acts and bring those involved to justice. Furthermore, Chapter 4 of the Constitution of Uganda guarantees civil liberties, including the right to personal liberty under Article 23 and freedom from torture, cruel and inhuman, or degrading treatment (under Article 24). These are non-derogable rights, protected even during states of emergency, as outlined under Article 44.
A Background to the Enforced Disappearances
Since 2020, there has been growing concern over enforced disappearances of persons, especially those who are critical of the regime or aligned with the opposition. Numerous reports highlight the abductions of Ugandans, especially those belonging to or supporting the young and vibrant opposition party, the NUP led by Bobi Wine.
In 2021, Bobi Wine released a list of 423 NUPs’ supporters who were kidnapped while the Minister of Internal Affairs only accounted for 89 persons. In 2023, the NUP further reported 25 of their supporters missing to the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC). The nature of the disappearances typically involves arbitrary arrests and kidnappings, often executed using minivans commonly referred to as “drones” operated by unidentified gunmen around Kampala and other regions.
A story published by BBC recounts how Kavuma Jamushid, a bouncer and close associate of opposition leader Bobi Wine was abducted in a drone in November 2022.
Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, a writer and human rights activist was similarly kidnapped using a drone and later abandoned in an illegal detention and tortured. The common trend of these brutal arrests is the manner of kidnappings which involve gun-wielding, masked men who bundle their victims into numberless vans—where torture reportedly takes place during transit.
The UN Committee against Torture (CAT), in its November 2023 sitting expressed concern about torture in un-gazzetted detention sites and issued strong recommendations for the government of Uganda to ensure that it addresses the issue of torture and illegal detentions. Further, the Human Rights Watch published a report detailing unlawful detentions and abuse in unauthorized places of detention noting that “security forces arbitrarily arrested and forcibly disappeared critics of the government, opposition leaders and supporters, and alleged protesters.” The report was handed directly to the President of Uganda, who pledged to hold the perpetrators accountable though concrete action remains absent.
The Leader of Opposition tabled a list of 52 missing/kidnapped Ugandans before Parliament, challenging the Minister for Security and Internal Affairs to account for their whereabouts. The Government’s initial response, through the Prime Minister, was that they were aware of the individuals and knew their locations. However, the Minister later refuted the claims, noting that the government does not have the missing persons. Furthermore, the Minister dismissed the claims as politically motivated and baseless.
In response, the leader of the opposition provided detailed information regarding those kidnapped and outlined the steps taken, including filing police reports and complaints with the UHRC. The Commission acknowledged that NUP submitted a list of 30 missing persons to them and that NUP was asked to provide more details concerning the missing persons. The Commission proceeded to conduct its investigation into the matter. However, in a turn of events, the UHRC later accused the opposition of fabricating stories for political gain. This left many puzzled as to how a body tasked with promoting and protecting human rights and freedoms could appear to be abdicating its duty.
“The government must also ensure that no individual is arbitrarily arrested and that whoever violates the constitutional method of arrest as per Article 23 faces the might of the law”.
The families of the missing people, together with the NUP continued to demand their release, to no avail. In 2024, the NUP legal team, Pace Advocates, filed 18 Habeas Corpus applications against state agencies. While 7 habeas corpus orders were granted, none have been honored. The families of the missing persons have still not seen their release. As a result, their legal team filed a new application in the High Court of Uganda seeking the unconditional release of the 18 persons who are believed to be held by the state in illegal detentions without any charge or trial.
Current Incidents of Enforced Disappearances
Recently, Advocate, Nasser Mudyobole a member of the National Unity Party (NUP) was forcefully abducted on 16 May 2025 by heavily armed, drone-operating security operatives from Gold Rock Hotel in Kiira Municipality, Waksio District where he was meeting a client. His whereabouts remained unknown for several days. In response, the Uganda Law Society filed an application for a writ of habeas corpus against the Attorney General on 20 May 2025. According to a statement by the Vice President of the Uganda Law Society, Mudyobole was eventually produced before the Iganga Magistrate’s Court on 21 May 2025, five days after his abduction, significantly exceeding the constitutionally mandated 48-hour period for presenting an arrested person before court. He was charged with unlawful drilling, contrary to section 42 of the Penal Code Act.
Prior to the Advocate’s abduction, on 26 April 2025 Edward Ssebufu, commonly known as Eddie Mutwe, and head of Bobi Wine’s security was also abducted. After continuous efforts to locate him, the Commander of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is the son to the president, confirmed that Eddie was in his custody in the basement. Posting on X he explicitly stated that:
“…he is in my basement. Learning Runyankore, you are next! ... I have captured NUP’s Military commander like a grasshopper (Nsenene). If they keep on provoking us, we shall discipline them even more.”
The General bragged that no one would hold him accountable for the torture of Eddie and warned that Bobi Wine would be the next target. To date, neither the army nor his father, the Commander-in-Chief, has condemned the abduction and torture.
On May 2, 2025, Ugandan lawyers, under their alliance, Rule of Law Alliance wrote a letter to the UHRC, urging them to act. In an unprecedented move, the Commission issued a release order on the same day against the Chief of Defence Forces. The order has since been ignored. The Chief of Defence Forces lashed out at the Commission demanding an apology and referred to the release order as a “stupid letter”. This response constitutes an unfortunate attack on the Commission which is constitutionally mandated to carry out its duties under Article 53.
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs issued a statement with no intended addressee, condemning the brutal abduction and torture without outlining specific actions or naming those involved. Despite this, Eddie Mutwe, who could barely walk was produced before the Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court on 5 May 2025 and charged with aggravated robbery and assault.
On 20 May 2025, he was again brought before Masaka Grade One Magistrate for plea and was committed to the High Court for trial. During the proceedings, he cried out to the Magistrate for medical aid, stating that he was in excruciating pain and required 12 painkillers daily for relief. While the Human Rights Enforcement Act empowers judicial officers under Section 11 to act, including releasing an accused on account of torture, the courts have turned a blind eye to this scenario. Sadly, this is just one of the many incidents Ugandans face regularly, living in fear amid systemic impunity.
Conclusion
In this light, it is evident that despite multiple court orders directing the release of missing individuals, state agencies continue to ignore them with impunity. The Ugandan Government is liable under both national and international law for enforced disappearances of persons, especially where its officers publicly acknowledge being responsible for the abductions. Hence, it must take steps in prosecuting the Chief of Defence Forces together with his accomplices.
The government must also ensure that no individual is arbitrarily arrested and that whoever violates the constitutional method of arrest as per Article 23 faces the might of the law. Moreover, the President should assert his authority over security agencies and other lawless actors who are engaging in the kidnapping of persons in Uganda, as he holds this power in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief under Article 98 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
