Former Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura has expressed anguish over the continued uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of opposition activist Sam Mugumya, saying she now hopes authorities will at least release or abandon him somewhere so his family can find him.
Nyanjura made the remarks while reacting to renewed attention surrounding video footage that purportedly shows Mugumya inside an unidentified detention facility.
In a statement, Nyanjura said she goes to sleep hoping that she will wake up to news that Mugumya has been found, even if he has been abandoned on the streets or left at a police station.
“I go to sleep every night hoping against hope that when I wake up, I'll get news that Mugumya Sam was dumped somewhere; somewhere on the filthy streets of Uganda or at a police station. But still, nothing yet,” she said.
Her remarks highlight the growing concern among opposition figures and activists over Mugumya’s fate, following the emergence of footage said to show him in captivity.
Nyanjura questioned the circumstances that have led Ugandans to hope that detained relatives will simply be abandoned somewhere so their families can locate them and seek medical treatment.
“Just imagine how low we have sunk as a Country, that we are now reduced to praying that they at least dump our loved ones somewhere so we can pick them up and provide medical care,” she added.
Mugumya, a former aide to opposition politician Kizza Besigye, reportedly disappeared in August 2025 after armed men allegedly took him from a hotel in Mbarara.
His disappearance has remained a major concern among opposition activists and human rights groups, with questions continuing over where he is being held and who is responsible for his detention.
The latest video has intensified the debate after former UPDF intelligence officer Lt Herbert Matanda Mabonga claimed it was recorded inside a military safe house.
The footage appears to show a man identified as Mugumya walking within a compound, with reports indicating that he appears physically weak and has difficulty walking.
However, the exact location where the footage was recorded and the circumstances surrounding its release have not been independently established.
The Uganda People's Defence Forces has dismissed Mabonga’s allegations, describing him as a deserter and rejecting claims concerning military-run detention facilities.
The controversy has nevertheless prompted renewed demands for authorities to account for Mugumya’s whereabouts.
Nyanjura’s statement adds to mounting calls from opposition figures, lawyers and rights activists for Mugumya to be located and his condition established.