The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, told Parliament on Wednesday that the government also does not know the whereabouts of people reported missing person like Sam Mugumya, who has been missing for almost a year.
Kiwanka’s response triggered a heated debate, as the legislators’ renewed demands for accountability over alleged enforced disappearances and unlawful detention.
The exchange followed concerns raised by the Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, who asked the government to account for several people he said were allegedly arrested by security operatives, but whose whereabouts remain unknown.
“If they are missing as you have said and you don’t know where they are, we also don’t know where they are,” Kiryowa Kiwanuka replied, drawing audible murmurs across the Chamber.
The minister’s response came as opposition legislators questioned why the government had repeatedly failed to provide updates on individuals whose families and lawyers have for months demanded answers.
Ssenyonyi argued that the laws don’t recognise enforced disappearances and maintained that any person suspected of committing an offence should be arrested lawfully, charged and produced before a competent court within the timelines prescribed by law.
He cited several cases, including Christopher Godin, also known as Kim Zero, reportedly taken on 21 April; William Walisa, reportedly taken on 10 February; and Sam Mugumya, who he said has been missing since 26 August 2025.
“If these people have committed offences, why doesn’t government produce them in court?” Ssenyonyi asked. He also referred to widely circulated videos purportedly showing Mugumya in frail health, urging government to publicly clarify his status if the footage is fabricated.
Ssenyonyi reminded the House that President Yoweri Museveni had recently condemned torture, noting that confessions extracted through torture are legally unreliable and inadmissible.
However, he questioned why security officers accused of torture continue to serve without apparent disciplinary action. “If the Commander-in-Chief has condemned torture, why is action not being taken against those responsible?” he asked.
The Opposition leader stressed that his concern was not about shielding suspects from prosecution but ensuring that criminal investigations respect constitutional guarantees.
“We are not saying some people are above arrest. We are saying conduct arrests within the law,” said Ssenyonyi.
He quoted Article 23 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to personal liberty and requires arrested persons to be brought before court within 48 hours, as well as Article 24, which prohibits torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. The prohibition against torture is further entrenched under Article 44(a) as a non-derogable right that cannot be suspended even during states of emergency.
The Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, 2012, criminalises torture by state and non-state actors, while the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act, 2019 empowers courts to grant effective remedies for violations of constitutional rights.
Responding on behalf of the government, Government Chief Whip Dr Jane Ruth Aceng acknowledged that concerns over missing persons have repeatedly been raised in Parliament. She committed to consulting the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Presidency before presenting a comprehensive government statement.
“It is not the first time the Leader of the Opposition is raising it, and it is not the first time we are promising a response. But I promise to follow up this time,” Aceng said.
Her remarks, however, underscored a recurring pattern that has frustrated legislators, with previous commitments yet to culminate in definitive government explanations. Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa cautioned ministers against allowing accountability issues to accumulate into a backlog of unanswered statements.
He argued that ministers should provide immediate verbal responses wherever possible, particularly where matters are raised under Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.
On the specific question of missing persons, Tayebwa acknowledged that the government needed to verify the facts before making conclusive statements but agreed the issue deserved urgent attention.
Attorney General Dr Sam Mayanja cautioned against normalising expressions such as “abducted”, “kidnapped”, “picked” and “disappeared” in Uganda’s public discourse, saying the allegations demanded serious institutional attention rather than routine political exchanges.
He recalled that Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth had previously ruled that allegations of enforced disappearances warrant a dedicated parliamentary debate. “This is a very serious matter, and it requires a special sitting of the House,” Mayanja said.
He urged continued cooperation between Parliament and the Executive, adding that the Minister of Internal Affairs would be expected to update the House on the reported cases-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
