Former Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura has expressed deep concern over the health and whereabouts of prominent Ugandan opposition figures, saying recent political developments have left her fearing for the country’s future.
In a statement, Nyanjura said she had been unable to sleep as she followed reports surrounding Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and activist Sam Mugumya.
Nyanjura described Lukwago as her former boss and friend, while referring to Besigye as her mentor. She said both men were currently unwell and receiving treatment in hospital under heavy security presence.
“Lukwago, my boss and friend, and Kizza Besigye, my mentor are both so unwell and in the hospital surrounded by guns,” she said.
According to Nyanjura, knowing the whereabouts of Lukwago and Besigye provides some reassurance despite the circumstances surrounding their hospitalisation.
However, she expressed greater anxiety over Mugumya, saying there was little information about his condition or location.
She cited an account allegedly given by an NUP activist who had previously been held in the same detention facility as Mugumya, claiming that the activist said Mugumya was unable to stand or walk and required assistance to use the toilet.
Nyanjura questioned why Mugumya’s whereabouts remained unknown and alleged that he could be held in a torture facility.
She also contrasted Mugumya’s current situation with the period when he was detained at Ndolo Prison, saying that while incarcerated there, his voice could still reach supporters through prison telephone calls.
“Now, there is only a painful, helpless silence,” she said.
The former deputy lord mayor’s remarks highlight growing concerns among opposition supporters over the treatment, detention and welfare of political activists in Uganda.
Nyanjura ended her statement by questioning whether political change and greater freedom would eventually come, saying the current situation had left her wondering whether the country was moving closer to, or further from, that prospect.
Her claims about Mugumya’s alleged condition and detention location have not been independently verified.