At least 458 Ugandans are missing from their families and their whereabouts remained unknown, according to records provided by the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party.
A copy of a list of missing persons prepared by NUP, which this publication has seen, however contains names of only 243 people.
Party officials who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity owing to sensitivity of the matter, last evening said the number of victims they had registered by last Friday was nearly double the original figure as more relatives filed complaints.
NUP began registering people who have disappeared, most of them its supporters, last November upon petitions by families following the two-day protests in that month when security forces shot dead 54 civilians.
President Museveni, who acknowledged the killings sparked off by the arrest of the then presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, said in a televised address that most of those who died were “rioters” and terrorists”.
Following the bloody incidents, several parents then approached the party to establish the whereabouts of their loved ones, prompting officials to open a register of missing supporters.
NUP claims that security forces abducted the individuals.
We could not independently verify if all the people on the NUP list are missing, and if so, whether they are in custody of State security agencies.
Securing their release
“We want to push for the release of these people at all costs because they don’t have any case to answer. We have waited for the government to release the official list of the missing people but they are going around corners and we must take an initiative,” Mr David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP secretary general, said yesterday.
The alleged disappearances of citizens, which Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Lwanga last month said mirrored the ‘dark days’ of past regimes, has raised concerns about the state of human security in the country, chipping away what the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has proclaimed for years as its gain.
President Museveni has since said the people presumed to have disappeared were alive and in custody of security forces, but his directive to have them released or charged in court has not been implement three weeks later.
Lt Col Deo Akiiki, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) deputy spokesperson, last evening said they had handed over the list of all the missing people to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Gen Jeje Odongo) to present it in Parliament as Speaker Rebecca Kadaga demanded last week.
“We don’t have anything to do with that matter anymore. As you have been told, the minister of Internal Affairs is to handle the matter. He will pronounce himself on the floor of Parliament, but I can’t tell when that will happen,” Lt Col Akiiki said.
A week ago, senior police officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is both sensitive and politicised, told this newspaper that the Force declined to publicise the list of incarcerated individuals because the military failed to turn over the suspects to them.
There were also concerns, one senior police officer said, that the suspects may be in questionable physical state or missing for which police could not take responsibility since it was not the arresting agency.
Mr Rubongoya said they intend to share its updated list of missing persons, alongside 25 new names of people who the party alleges were killed in the November 18-19 riot but were not among those officially acknowledged, to strengthen its petition to the Office of the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Human Rights in Kampala.
Ms Kadaga, on February 24, ordered the government to table the list of citizens it is holding incommunicado, but Gen Odongo was again a no-show in the House yesterday, prompting the Speaker to permit any MP with particulars of missing persons to produce them in Parliament.
NUP last Friday held prayers for the missing people at its head offices in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, and those already charged in court and remanded.
During the event, a number of parents and relatives of the abductees broke down and wailed before rolling cameras, pleading with the government to free their loved ones.
Mr Kateregga Mulangira, 80, alleged that security forces abducted his son Jeserwah Kyabaggu a month ago, and he has never been sighted again.
“I don’t know what I did to the government to deserve this kind of torture to my son. I am an old man now and I hope that those in authority will follow my tears to release my son,” he said.
Starting tomorrow, this newspaper will serialise tell-all tales by distraught families and relatives about missing members believed to be detained by security officials.
List of some of the missing Ugandans
Name District
Gertrude Kawooya Mpigi
Abdul Rashid Nkinga Mpigi
Ronald Mugerwa Mpigi
Baker Kawooya Mpigi
Victor Makenya Mpigi
Godfrey Kisembo aka Buyaaya Mpigi
Emmanuel Bazira of Mpigi
Fred Kijjambiu
Willy Bogere
Muhamad Ssekimpi
George Kasumba Kyotera
Jon Bosco Sserunkuma Wakiso
John Mary Birimuye Masaka
Junior Kiberu Mukono
Abdul Karim Muganga Mukono
Ramadhan Kaweesa Mityana
Ali Musisi Mityana
Matiya Kibirige Mityana
Yuda Ssempijja Mukono
Sula Kiwanuka Mukono
Joseph Kyakuwa Mukono
Muhammad Nahiru Mukono
Twaha Kagimu Mukono
Isma Ssenkubuge Mukono
Stephen Ntulume Mukono
Muhammad Kanatta Mukono
Gaza Kharim Mukono
Muhammed Mutebi Mukono
Musa Male Mukono
Sowedi Lwanga Mukono
Jolly Tukamushaba Rukiga
Shafik Nyombi Kyotera
Vincent Muwonge Kyotera
John Kiwanuka Kyotera
Farouk Mukapa Kyotera
Javira Luyombya
Mahad Mukasa Kyotera
Fahad Kasinga Kyotera
Barrack Kyazze Kyotera
Sulait Kyambadde Kyotera
Emmanuel Ssegirinya Kyotera
Ivan Kawenja Kyotera
Frank Lusembo Kyotera
Derrick Ssebugenyi Kyotera
Mahad Kyakuwa Kyotera
George Kasumba Kyotera
Muhammad Maanya Kampala
Joshua Muwanga Kampala
Umar Wasswa Kampala
Ramadhan Muyanga Kampala
Brian Ainomugisha Mbarara
Amos Tumwine Mbarara
Joweria Kyanzi Kampala
Charles Kyomuhendo Kampala
Hassan Ssewankambo
Damian Kyagaba Kampala
Yusuf Ssempebwa Kampala
Alex Ssemogerere Kampala
Jamilah Kansiime
Joel Tegulya Kyooma
Joseph Baguma Kampala
Jamilu Wasika
Sharif Ntege Kampala
Miggade Kassim Entebbe
Ashraf Nsubuga Wakiso
Muhammad SSekimpi Mpigi
Hamidu Ssentumbwe Mityana
Muhammad Katana
Akram Zziwa Entebbe
Joseph Katongole Mpigi
Umar Munaabi Kampala
John Ddamulira Kampala
Michael Ssemuddu
Cyrus Arinaitwe Kampala
Christopher Bunjo Kampala
Alex Kiyemba Kampala
Julius Buwembo Entebbe
Emmanuel Katongole Wakiso
Tabule Ssekitoleko Kampala
Asherure Raymond
James Katabazi Entebbe
Daniel Kibuuka Kampala
Ismail Kigozi Kalungu
Sylvia Namazzi Kalungu
Jack Tumwine Ssembabule
Sharifah Nkalubo
John Baptist Kyazze Kampala
Martin Ssemogerere Kampala
Peter Matovu Entebbe
Ian Enock Mutesasira
Jude Ssemanda
Shafiq Kakooza
Isaac Opiyo Kampala
Mark Muwonge Kityo
Hanningon Kasirye
Kenneth Kusasira Kampala
Evidence Agaba Kampala
Martin Jomwe
Geofrey Alla Katumba Entebbe
Emmanuel Mukasa Entebbe
Dickens Omulongo Kato Entebbe
Edward Sserukenya Wakiso
Gordon Byenkya Wakiso
Steven Mukasa Kampala
Dan Kibuuka Kampala
Vincent Kauki Wakiso
Moses Kibirango Entebbe
Sula Muguluma Mukono
Pius Mwanje Kampala
Nicholas Ssempala Kampala
Jamada Mayega Kampala
Timothy Muwonge Kampala
Ivan Mukwana Mbale
Ben Kuloba Mbale
Abdul Masaba Mbale
Eddy Kisasa Mbale
Brian Makuvuya Kampala
Ben Kuloba Mbale
Fred Nkurunziza Kyankwanzi
James Lubowa Wakiso
Julius Kayiwa Entebbe
Jamiru Kigozi Entebbe
Shamim Majweega Ssembabule
Sulaiman Kyambadde Kyotera
Andrew Kiwanuka Kyotera
Herbert Maganda Kyotera
Richard Ssonko Wakiso
Daudi Niwabiine Kampala
Muhammad Ssemakula
Steven Lule Wakiso
Obed Tugume Kampala
Ashraf Kigozi Kampala
Abdubaker Ashraf Entebbe
Abdul Fatta
Nampewa Hafiswa
Davis Kabuye
Dickson Katamba
Deo Kamanya
Frank Nuwaba Wakiso
Junior Mujirizi Kampala
Francis Jimmy Nsubuga Kampala
Ibrahim Kakembo Kampala
Fredrick Kisawuzi Mukono
Tom Ddumba Mukono
Ibrahim Jamwa Kampala
Ronald Higenyi Wakiso
Bob Franscis Naijuka Kampala
Sunday Mugema Kampala
Sulaiti Wasswa Kampala
John Mary Babiiha Kampala
Deo Ssekiziyivu Kampala
Ivan Mere Jinja
Roger Waiswa Jinja
Osbert Yamurebire
Mark Erick Wamala Kampala
Muhammad Kintu Kampala
Joseph Ssenfuka Gomba
Jonathan Kitayimbwa
Josephat Kigoonya
Naomi Namuddu
Yusuf Mutebi
Adam Kizito
Ibrahim Tumusiime
Ismail Lwanga
Joseph Augustine Kawooya
Joel Ssentumbwe
Hilary Charles Mutyaba
Victory Ainomugisha
Hassan Kiyemba
Yusuf Lumala
Seresio Kyambadde
Brian Ssegujja
Herbert Kayinda
Simon Peter Twine
Tadeo Kagoro Masindi
George Franklin Kisawuzi
Abdul Karim Lwanga
Benedict Ssemogerere
Joseph Kyamagero
Conrad Kato
David Kimbugwe
Franscis Kayemba
Henry SSesanga
James Mutumba
Michael Lubwama
Joel Senkumi
Fahad Kizza
Ronald Namara
Karim Twaib
Danstan Bunjo
Dominic Ssempa
Ali Al-saif
Charles Muaganga
Friday Kakuru
Chrysostom Bahwa Kampala
Gerald Luyombya
Hosea SSimbwa
Fahim Ssebwaato
Junior Rogers Kazibwe
Mozses Barungi
Bbosa Wasswa
John K Mugabi
Ceaser Julius Tekko
Vincent Mawagali
Richard Bill Kyeyune
Godwin Lubega
Deogratius Kiizza
Isaac Ssempebwa
Amon Bazira
Humfrey Ssebyala
Kamya Sheldomn Saddam Kasirye
Blasto Turigye
Simon Peter Mubiru
Julian Namatta
Spencer Akanyijuka
Ashton Kisitu
Joseph Paul Kawanga
Martin Tumusiime
Francis Semuto
Deus Katumba
Henry Ngobi
Issa Ssebyala
src: Daily Monitor
