KAMPALA – The Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has publicly refuted claims of state-sponsored abductions, asserting that all recent detentions are lawful arrests of individuals suspected of participating in illegal activities.
The statement was made by the army spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, in response to growing concerns from human rights organizations and the political opposition regarding the alleged abduction of supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party.
“There are no abductions carried out by the State; the State arrests, it does not abduct,” Maj. Gen. Kulayigye stated emphatically.
His comments directly address a wave of reports detailing the seizure of individuals from streets and their homes, often by armed men in unmarked vehicles, which critics attribute to state security agencies.
The army spokesperson directly linked the recent arrests to a specific event: a political mobilization at the NUP headquarters in the Makerere Kavule area. He characterized the event as an “illegal parade” and stated that the government had been clear about its consequences.
“Let me also remind you that it was made clear: anyone who participated in the illegal parade at the NUP Headquarters in Makerere, Kavule, will be brought before court. That is why those individuals have been apprehended,” Kulayigye said.
The use of the word “apprehended” reinforces the official position that these are lawful procedures, not extrajudicial abductions. The statement implies that those detained will be formally charged and processed through the judicial system.
This explanation is likely to be met with skepticism by opposition leaders and human rights advocates, who have consistently documented cases of enforced disappearances and incommunicado detentions, arguing they are tactics used to intimidate and suppress political dissent.
The government maintains that it is upholding the rule of law by targeting what it deems to be illegal assemblies and activities that threaten public order.
