MUHOOZI’S MUGUMYA EXECUTION THREAT SPARKS OUTRAGE: CDF’s Declaration That He Holds Missing Activist Sam Mugumya And Intends To Execute Him Has Unleashed A Wave Of Anger Across Uganda

The whereabouts of missing opposition activist Sam Mugumya have taken a dramatic turn after Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly claimed that he was holding him and threatened to execute him.

The admission, made on Gen Muhoozi’s X account, came days after a video attributed to former UPDF intelligence officer Lt Herbert Matanda Mabonga circulated showing a man identified by opposition figures and activists as Mugumya apparently struggling to walk.

“Yes, I have Sam Mugumya. He is fine. But I will execute him soon,” Gen Muhoozi posted on X on Friday.

In a subsequent post, the CDF appeared to address public concern over footage showing Mugumya’s physical condition, writing: “People are feeling sorry for Mugumya’s legs? I’m going to shoot him to death.”

The statements immediately triggered a storm of condemnation, with opposition politicians, human-rights defenders, lawyers and ordinary Ugandans demanding that Mugumya be produced before court, granted access to his family and lawyers and protected from harm.

The remarks have also reopened questions surrounding the whereabouts of Mugumya, who disappeared after reportedly being picked up by armed men in Mbarara on August 26, 2025.

‘He is under personal custody’

National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, described Muhoozi’s statement as confirmation of what the opposition has alleged for more than a year.

“Museveni’s criminal son confirms what we all know: that our brother, Sam Mugumya, who has been missing for over a year is under his personal custody,” Kyagulanyi said in a post.

He also criticised earlier efforts by the UPDF to dismiss allegations made by Mabonga.

“This after his spokesman, Chris Magezi tried to whitewash and cover up these crimes by trying to dismiss Lt. Mabonga Herbert’s revelations as mere fabrications,” Kyagulanyi said.

He accused the CDF of publicly threatening to kill Mugumya. “Like he has done to many other victims, he is promising to shoot him to death,” Kyagulanyi said.

He further argued that Muhoozi’s public statements could eventually become evidence against him. “Nowhere in this modern world has any person abused power so much and publicly owned up so many crimes against humanity!” Kyagulanyi wrote, adding that Muhoozi was “writing his own charge-sheet before the whole world.”

He ended by sending a message to the missing activist: “Hang in there brother Sam. May you outlive those who are taking you through hell.”

The National Unity Platform has repeatedly demanded that missing opposition supporters and Mugumya be produced or their whereabouts disclosed.

Human-rights defenders demand access

Human Rights Defenders and other civil-society voices also reacted sharply.

“If Uganda’s CDF Gen @mkainerugaba is publicly admitting that he personally holds Sam Mugumya—and threatening to execute him—this is no longer a question of where Mugumya is,” the group said. “It is a direct admission of state custody and a threat to his life.”

The group demanded that Mugumya be produced before a court, given immediate access to lawyers, family members and independent doctors and protected from torture or execution.

“A military detention facility is not above the law,” it said.

The Justice Forum (JEEMA) has similarly demanded Mugumya’s immediate production before the High Court and an independent investigation into allegations that he was tortured at a military facility. JEEMA said the allegations surrounding his detention, combined with the latest developments, required a transparent investigation.

The High Court had previously ordered authorities to produce Mugumya in proceedings concerning his alleged military detention. The court action followed his reported disappearance in August 2025.

Nyanjura: ‘My heart breaks’

Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura, who has known Mugumya from their earlier opposition activism, expressed deep anguish over his situation.

“I have not slept. My heart breaks looking at all the unfortunate political scenarios unfolding in my country!” Nyanjura wrote.

She contrasted Mugumya’s situation with that of other opposition figures whose whereabouts are known. “As painful as their situation is, at least we know where they are. But then there is @SamMugumya,” she said. Nyanjura said the video showing Mugumya struggling to walk continued to haunt her.

“His video just keeps replaying in my mind, over and over, shattering my heart completely,” she wrote.

She questioned where Mugumya was being held and whether he was receiving medical attention. “Where are you, Sam? What torture chamber are they hiding you in?” she asked.

Nyanjura’s concern is significant because Mugumya previously worked with opposition figures including Dr Kizza Besigye and had been involved in opposition mobilisation. She has described him as a mentor and friend.

Rubongoya: ‘Cry beloved country’

NUP secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya also reacted emotionally to the latest development. “Sam Mugumya! Cry beloved country!” Rubongoya posted.

His reaction followed months of demands for authorities to account for Mugumya and other missing Ugandans.

In an earlier message, Rubongoya listed numerous people whose whereabouts had been questioned, asking: “WHERE IS SAM MUGUMYA?” and calling for the freedom of citizens allegedly held incommunicado.

He has previously urged President Yoweri Museveni to release missing NUP supporters and Mugumya, arguing that the government should account for people whose detention has not been publicly explained.

Journalist and lawyer Agather Atuhaire has also been among the most vocal campaigners for Mugumya.

In July, after footage purporting to show Mugumya in a severely weakened condition emerged, Atuhaire said: “Physical injuries can break limbs, but they cannot break the spirit of a people determined to claim their freedom. Sam Mugumya must be freed now.”

She has also said she received threats after sharing footage relating to Mugumya and raised concerns about her own safety.

The latest controversy has therefore moved beyond the question of whether Mugumya is missing.

Muhoozi’s statements have transformed the debate into a demand for accountability over where Mugumya is being held, who is responsible for his custody and what legal authority exists for his continued detention.

Mabonga’s explosive claims

The controversy was initially reignited by Lt Herbert Matanda Mabonga, who identified himself as a former military intelligence officer and released videos and a statement alleging the existence of secret detention facilities and torture.

One of the videos appears to show a man identified as Mugumya moving slowly with the aid of a walking frame.

The footage has not been independently authenticated, and its precise date and location have not been established. However, the images generated widespread concern because Mugumya had already been missing for more than a year. Mabonga also claimed that he participated in torture before deciding to leave the army. The UPDF has strongly rejected his allegations.

Col Chris Magezi, the acting Director of Defence Public Information, described Mabonga as a deserter and said the material he released was “a pile of unsubstantiated rubbish composed of forgeries, doctored images, and concoctions.”

The UPDF said Mabonga had been transferred for reassignment but failed to report to his new station and was subsequently declared absent without leave before his status was upgraded to desertion. The army also accused him of extortion and fraudulent land transactions.

The army later corrected the date of Mabonga’s transfer, changing it from April 2026 to November 2025.

Parliament demands answers

The controversy has also reached Parliament. On October 1, Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi raised the matter during plenary, demanding that the government account for missing, abducted or detained opposition figures.

Parliament subsequently gave government two weeks to account for Mugumya and other missing persons.

The parliamentary intervention adds pressure on security agencies to clarify whether Mugumya is alive, where he is being held and under what authority.

The legal question

Uganda’s Constitution provides a clear framework on life, personal liberty and protection from torture.

Article 22 states that no person may intentionally be deprived of life except pursuant to a sentence imposed after a fair trial by a competent court and confirmed through the highest appellate process.

Article 24 prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Article 44 goes further by making freedom from torture, the right to a fair hearing and the right to habeas corpus non-derogable.

The Constitution also states that public interest does not permit political persecution or detention without trial.

Uganda’s Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, 2012, gives effect to these constitutional protections and establishes torture as a criminal offence.

Against this legal backdrop, Muhoozi’s statement has generated questions about what he meant by saying he personally had Mugumya and intended to execute him.

Ugandans divided over the remarks

The online reaction has ranged from anger and demands for Mugumya’s release to appeals for restraint.

One user, Robert Nahabwe, warned that Muhoozi’s words could be interpreted literally and urged him to allow due process to take its course.

“Afande CDF, with utmost respect Sir,” Nahabwe wrote, arguing that such statements could give critics ammunition against the UPDF.

“We trust in military justice and due process. We stand with you Afande, but let the law speak,” he added. Others were far more confrontational.

One user, Frida, challenged Muhoozi to a one-on-one duel, while another user, Tracy Kirungi, accused him of having Mugumya tortured and warned that political power does not last forever.

Another Ugandan, Kamya Samuel, offered a different interpretation, warning that whether the CDF’s remarks were intended as banter or a joke, such language could have damaging consequences.

“It might be banter or some sick joke but the trouble with this sort of talk is that it destroys a nation’s sense of decency,” Kamya wrote.

He urged political leaders to engage in “nationally constructive brain-storming” rather than threats.

Anne Mugisha responded with a series of quotations about the killing of helpless people, including: “Only a coward strikes down one who cannot stand.” She also wrote: “There is no courage in killing a man who cannot fight back.”

Bigirwa Moses, meanwhile, invoked the Constitution directly, warning that killing Mugumya would violate the protection of life and that alleged torture would violate the constitutional prohibition against torture.

The unanswered questions

For Mugumya’s family, however, the political debate is secondary to a basic question: where is their relative and is he safe? For more than a year, the answer remained contested.

The UPDF previously denied holding Mugumya. In court proceedings, the army maintained that searches of its detention facilities and records had found no evidence that he was in its custody.

The latest statements attributed to Muhoozi have radically changed the public conversation.

If his posts were meant literally, they constitute a public claim that Mugumya is alive and in his custody. If they were intended as sarcasm, provocation or political rhetoric, the statement has nevertheless intensified demands for authorities to establish Mugumya’s actual whereabouts and condition.

The video attributed to Mabonga remains unverified, while the UPDF continues to reject his allegations. But Muhoozi’s own words have created a new and urgent demand for clarity.

For the opposition, lawyers and human-rights campaigners, the message is simple: produce Sam Mugumya alive, allow independent medical assessment and legal access, and let any allegations against him be tested before a competent court.

The controversy has therefore moved from “Where is Sam Mugumya?” to a more urgent question: what will happen to him now?