A video circulating widely on social media appears to show Ugandan opposition activist Sam Mugumya in a severely weakened physical condition, nearly a year after he was reportedly abducted in Mbarara City.
The footage, which began circulating on Friday, July 31, 2026, shows Mugumya struggling to walk and apparently relying on a rollator, or walking frame, to move.
He is seen seated in what appears to be an enclosed facility, looking frail and physically distressed.
People sharing the video have claimed that it was recorded inside a detention facility allegedly linked to the Special Forces Command (SFC), with some describing the location as a basement. Those claims, however, have not been independently verified.
Mugumya is wearing a checkered shirt in the footage. Some people familiar with the circumstances surrounding his disappearance have claimed that the clothing resembles what he was wearing when he went missing, although this has also not been independently established.
Mugumya, a longtime political activist and former aide to opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, was reportedly seized by plainclothes operatives on August 26, 2025, from a hotel in Mbarara City shortly after returning to Uganda from exile.
His disappearance came after years of political activism and a prolonged period in detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he reportedly spent about eight years.
As of Friday, 340 days had passed since his reported abduction, with his whereabouts remaining publicly unknown for most of that period.
Ugandan security agencies, including the Uganda Police Force, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and SFC, have previously denied holding Mugumya. The agencies have also reportedly filed affidavits in court denying that he is in their custody.
The emergence of the video has now reignited concerns over Mugumya’s welfare and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
Activists and opposition supporters have interpreted the footage as possible evidence that Mugumya may have been subjected to severe mistreatment while in detention.
Allegations circulating alongside the video include claims that he suffered injuries to his ribs and legs and was subjected to conditions that left him unable to walk without assistance.
Those allegations have not been independently verified.
The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and other opposition activists have renewed calls for Mugumya to be released immediately, granted access to medical care and allowed to meet his family and lawyers.
The footage has also triggered strong reactions from opposition figures and members of the public.
Opposition leader Bobi Wine shared the video, describing Mugumya as a man who has remained missing since his reported abduction in August last year.
Other commentators have described the images as disturbing and questioned the continued official denials that Mugumya is being held by security agencies.
Mugumya’s lawyers had previously filed a habeas corpus application seeking to have him produced before court and to establish his whereabouts.
Despite those efforts, his location remained unknown until the emergence of the latest footage.
No criminal charges against Mugumya arising from the August 2025 incident have been publicly announced, and he has not been presented before an open court in connection with his reported disappearance.
The circumstances surrounding the video—including when and where it was recorded, who recorded it and how it was obtained—remain unclear.
The government had not issued an immediate public response to the footage as of Thursday.
The emergence of the video is likely to intensify calls for an independent investigation into Mugumya’s disappearance, his treatment while missing and the repeated official denials concerning his whereabouts.
Human rights advocates are also demanding that Mugumya be given immediate access to his family, lawyers and independent medical professionals, while urging authorities to publicly account for his whereabouts and ensure that any allegations of unlawful detention or mistreatment are independently investigated.
