KAMPALA. The Uganda Peoples Defense Forces(UPDF) has confirmed holding a Catholic priest reported missing for nearly two weeks.
The Army’s response on Sunday evening came after pressure grew on the whereabouts of Rev Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira of Masaka Diocese who relatives say was kidnapped by armed men in UPDF uniforms while at this office in Katwe , Masaka City on December 3.
Fr Ssekabira is the Director of Universal Chastity Education Organisation , which provides counselling services and charity support to HIV-affected needy children and also director of Uplift Primary School –both in Masaka .
The organisation’s youth coordinator ,Ms Rose Nakachwa ,claims that Fr Ssekabira was picked from their offices by armed men suspected to be UPDF soldiers who ordered him into a waiting car with covered number plates .
“They blindfolded him and whisked him together with his secretary Rosette Nakintu towards the Katwe side, but Nakintu was later dropped by the roadside in Katwe Ward . We are so worried about him. We wonder which condition he is in. However, can you hold such a person without a court order or an arrest warrant? If a cleric can disappear in such a manner, how about us ordinary people?” she says .
Ms Nakachawa said the priest’s captors never introduced themselves to them before taking the duo .
In statement dated December 14, the UPDF’s acting spokesperson Col.Chris Magezi said Rev Fr Ssekabira “recently arrested by the security forces for involvement in violent subversive activities against the state and is currently in lawful custody to assist investigations.”
The brief Sunday military statement did not specify the nature of the alleged subversive activities or the date of arrest.
However, the army emphasized that the priest will be produced in court and charged accordingly.
The confirmation follows days of uncertainty after Masaka Catholic Diocese alleged that the priest was kidnapped on December 3 by men in army uniform travelling in a van commonly known as a “drone,” amid mounting concern over his whereabouts.
Uganda’s Constitution states that a person arrested must be brought before a court of law within 48 hours, a provision that has increasingly become central to public debate surrounding the disappearance.
In a letter dated December 13, Masaka Bishop Severus Jjumba said Fr Ssekabira, a curate at Bumangi Parish and director of Uplift Primary School, was seized at around 1:00 p.m. from his office in Katwe, Masaka City.
“Rev Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira… was kidnapped by men in Uganda Army uniform,” the bishop wrote, saying all efforts to locate him had been unsuccessful.
Bishop Jjumba described the incident as “a grievous wound inflicted on Masaka Diocese, the entire Catholic Church, and Fr Ssekabira’s family,” and ordered days of special prayers as anxiety spread among clergy and faithful.
Ugandan authorities have increasingly come under scrutiny for alleged Amin-style enforced disappearances and prolonged detentions without trial, particularly as the country heads toward next year’s consequential general election.
After what he said were fruitless attempts to establish the priest’s whereabouts through security agencies, the bishop announced plans to pursue legal action.
Masaka diocesan lawyer Alexander Lule said the Church had instructed lawyers to file an application for habeas corpus.
“We have tried, us, the church, and the family members have tried almost all of the security organs… trying to find out where he is or whether they have him in their custody. But they have denied everything,” Lule said.
Police said they had not yet received a formal missing-person complaint.
Southern regional police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye urged the Church or family to register a case to enable investigations.