Are Missing Opposition Supporters Truly Unreported? Minister Muhoozi’s Claims Spark Questions In Parliament

The Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi, informed Parliament that a significant number of alleged missing persons have never been officially reported to the police. Presenting a statement during the plenary sitting on November 29, 2023, Muhoozi responded to concerns raised by the Leader of the Opposition (LOP), Mathias Mpuuga, regarding enforced disappearances and the shrinking civic space.

Muhoozi, citing a statement signed by his senior minister, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, emphasized that, according to law and official practice, individuals must be declared missing through a filed missing person’s report with the police. He pointed out that such reports were not submitted, and efforts to involve the affected individuals in the process were met with resistance.

The minister clarified that some cases attributed to security operatives by Mpuuga had been previously reported as unwitnessed disappearances by the relatives. He cited specific instances, such as Kasumba George and Kisembo Godfrey, noting that certain reported disappearances had inconsistencies in numbers and testimonies across different platforms, including the Uganda Human Rights Commission and the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights.

Muhoozi highlighted challenges in investigations due to alleged missing persons’ next of kin refusing to cooperate with the police. He cited the example of Florence Nabakozza, the next of kin of Dennis Wangolo alias Shafik, who declined to meet investigators, citing instructions from the National Unity Platform Party.

Addressing accusations of victimization of Muslims, Muhoozi refuted claims that Muslims constituted the majority in detention. He presented statistics from the Uganda Prisons Service, indicating that Muslims make up 16.4 percent of inmates, behind Catholics at 41.3 percent and Protestants at 29.5 percent.

In response, Mpuuga requested time to make a rejoinder on December 5, 2023, promising specific prayers that would put Parliament to the test. Speaker Anita Among confirmed that Parliament would decide on the report after Mpuuga’s rejoinder to the minister’s statement.