Fresh questions have emerged over the whereabouts and condition of opposition activist Sam Mugumya after the High Court in Kampala scheduled a hearing in an application seeking to have him produced before court. Mugumya, a former mobiliser for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and a close ally of opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye, has reportedly not been seen publicly since his alleged arrest in August 2025.

According to a court hearing notice received by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs on October 23, the case was scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. before Justice Kinobe. The application seeks answers from authorities about Mugumya’s whereabouts and asks that he be brought before court, amid growing concern from his family, lawyers and political figures.

Mugumya was reportedly seized on August 26, 2025, while having breakfast at NIM Hotel in Nyamitanga, Mbarara City. Witnesses alleged that armed men believed to be security operatives took him away in a vehicle. Since then, his family and lawyers have reportedly been seeking information about where he is being held, but the authorities named in the application have not publicly confirmed his detention or disclosed his location in the information provided.

The habeas corpus application names several senior officials and institutions as respondents, including the Attorney General, Chief of Defence Forces, Inspector General of Police, Commandant of the Special Forces Command, Commanding Officer of Kasenyi Barracks and Director of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security. The proceedings are intended to give the relevant authorities an opportunity to respond to the demand for Mugumya’s production and account for his situation.

Concern has intensified following the circulation of an unverified video purportedly showing Mugumya in poor physical condition. The footage has prompted questions from political and public figures, although his identity, current location and condition have not been independently established from the information provided. Dr Kenneth Omona Olusegun, an NRM official, and political commentator Jim Spire Ssentongo have separately called for efforts to establish what happened to the activist.

Mugumya’s reported disappearance has also revived memories of his previous detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was arrested in October 2014 over allegations of plotting rebellion against the Ugandan government and spent more than eight years in detention before being released in October 2022. Reports state that he was never formally tried during that period, making the latest questions about his whereabouts particularly concerning to those following his case.

Uganda Law Society President Isaac Ssemakadde has also written to security officials demanding that Mugumya be released or produced before court, given medical attention if needed, and allowed access to his family. The case comes amid renewed public debate over alleged torture and unlawful detention, following President Yoweri Museveni’s recent condemnation of torture, maiming and extrajudicial killings. Museveni has said he has never tortured or ordered the torture of a political opponent.

Uganda’s Constitution generally requires a person arrested or detained to be brought before a court within 48 hours, while habeas corpus proceedings allow a court to require authorities to produce a person and justify the legality of their detention. The scheduled hearing could therefore become an important step in seeking clarity about Mugumya’s whereabouts. Until authorities provide verified information, questions remain over where he is, what happened after his reported arrest and whether he has received access to his family and any necessary medical care.