KAMPALA. Former Dr Kizza Besigye’s aide Sam Mugumya has been arrested by military and plain-clothed personnel.
Mugumya’s arrest comes days after it emerged that he was to vie for Rukungiri Municipality parliamentary seat on the People Front for Freedom , a new political party formed by incarcerated veteran politician Dr Besigye
“Comrade Mugumya Sam has been arrested while having breakfast at NIM Hotel in Nyamitanga, Mbarara,” a close friend of Mugumya and member of PFF Moses Byamugisha said on Tuesday
He added that Mugumya “was picked up by uniformed military personnel and others in plain clothes while moving in a Toyota Hiace car commonly known as drone. He is expected to be brought to Kampala to one of the detention centers around.”
Mugumya’s contentious history includes over eight years of detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following his arrest in October 2014. He was accused of plotting rebellion against the current government but was never formally tried; he was eventually released in October 2022.
A former student activist at Makerere University, Mugumya rose to prominence as a youth leader in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and a close aide to veteran opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye. He played a high-profile role in the 2011 “Walk to Work” protests.
Since his return to Uganda , Mugumya has sought the nomination of the nascent PFF , joining a fray that includes Ingrid Turinawe and former MP Roland Mugume Kaginda. He is now positioned to face Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde, a formidable opponent who secured the NRM primary ticket for Rukungiri Municipality, defeating incumbent MP Dr Elisa Rutahirwa.
In a post on microblogging platform X on Tuesday , Dr Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima said Mugumya’s arrest is linked to politics . “Deeply concerned about the arrest of my friend Sam Mugumya today. Sam is contesting the Rukungiri Municipality parliamentary seat. Sam is a law abiding citizen. This is political. #FreeMugumya” she said