The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has dismissed allegations of state-orchestrated abductions in the run-up to the 2026 Ugandan general election, clarifying that the incidents being cited are lawful arrests rather than enforced disappearances.
This follows accusations from the National Unity Platform (NUP), which claims that its members are being abducted by security operatives. The claims intensified after the arrest of NUP deputy spokesperson Waiswa Mufumbiro and Saudah Madada, an aspiring Kampala Central Woman Lord Councilor.
However, UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya, on Thursday, 18th September 2025, said the commission has not registered any formal complaints of abduction during this election period.
“Sometimes there’s a tendency to conflate an arrest with an abduction. I am not aware of any abductions happening,” Wangadya stated.
Wangadya further noted that while Uganda has experienced abductions in the past, particularly during the turbulent 1970s, such incidents have not been recorded in recent years.
“I was around in the 1970s, and I saw abductions. I know Ben Kiwanuka, then Chief Justice of Uganda, was abducted and never seen again. What is happening now are arrests, not abductions,” she said.
The commission also emphasized that all recently arrested NUP members, including Mufumbiro and Madada, have been presented before courts of law and charged with offences such as unlawful drilling, conspiracy to commit a felony, and related charges, which underscores that due legal process is being followed.
In its statement, UHCR echoed the Electoral Commission’s earlier position, expressing confidence that Uganda is on course for a peaceful, fair, and lawful election in 2026.
On 15th September, 2025, Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke re-echoed Wangadya’s stand. He justified these arrests explaining that some NUP members were involved in unlawful military drilling or parades, which are offences under the Penal Code.
