Army admits detaining missing Masaka priest as Church, lawyers and opposition demand answers

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces has acknowledged that Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira of Masaka Diocese, who had been reported missing for several days, is in its custody over allegations of involvement in what the army termed “violent subversive activities against the state.”

The admission followed sustained pressure from the Catholic Church, human rights advocates, lawyers and political actors who had questioned the priest’s disappearance after he was reportedly seized by armed men in military uniform. The army said the priest is being lawfully detained and will be charged in court once investigations are complete.

Disappearance that alarmed the Church

Fr. Ssekabira was reported missing on December 3 after armed men allegedly picked him from his office in Masaka City and drove him away in an unmarked vehicle. For several days, his whereabouts remained unknown, triggering anxiety within the Diocese and among the faithful.

Masaka Diocese publicly described the incident as a kidnapping and said all efforts to trace the priest through official channels had yielded no information. The Bishop of Masaka, Rt. Rev. Severus Jjumba, described the incident as a “grievous wound” to the Church and the priest’s family, calling for prayers while legal steps were pursued.

Catholic lawyers demand due process

The Catholic Lawyers Association emerged as one of the strongest institutional voices demanding accountability. The association condemned the manner in which the priest was taken, arguing that the operation lacked transparency, a known place of detention, and immediate access to legal counsel.

The lawyers insisted that if Fr. Ssekabira had committed any offence, he should be produced before a competent civilian court in accordance with the Constitution. They warned that holding civilians in undisclosed military detention undermines the rule of law and fuels public mistrust in security institutions.

Police step aside as military takes responsibility

As public pressure mounted, Uganda Police distanced itself from the matter, stating that it was not holding the priest. This further deepened concern until the UPDF eventually issued a statement confirming custody.

The sequence of denials and delayed admission raised serious questions about coordination among security agencies and civilian oversight, particularly in cases involving non-combatant civilians.

Opposition links arrest to shrinking civic space

Opposition leaders quickly weighed in, framing the priest’s detention as part of a broader pattern of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial arrests, especially in the run-up to the 2026 general elections.

National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, condemned the army for detaining civilians without clear legal justification, saying the military has no mandate to hold civilians outside established judicial processes.

Political analysts say the involvement of a Catholic priest, a figure traditionally seen as morally and socially protected, has intensified national scrutiny and widened the debate beyond partisan politics.

While the UPDF maintains that Fr. Ssekabira is in lawful custody and will be charged, it has not publicly disclosed the specific offences, evidence supporting the allegations, or why the arrest was carried out in a manner resembling an abduction.

Human rights defenders argue that these unanswered questions are central to determining whether due process has been followed or violated.

The priest’s detention comes amid growing concern over the treatment of civilians by security agencies in politically sensitive periods. Civil society organisations have repeatedly warned that prolonged incommunicado detention and military involvement in civilian law enforcement erode constitutional safeguards.

For the Catholic Church, one of Uganda’s most influential moral institutions, the case represents both a pastoral and institutional test of how the state engages religious leaders and handles dissenting or independent voices.

What happens next

Attention now turns to whether Fr. Ssekabira will be promptly produced before a civilian court, granted access to his lawyers and family, and accorded full constitutional protections. The Church, Catholic lawyers and civil society actors have signalled that they will continue applying pressure until these steps are taken.

As Uganda edges closer to a heated electoral season, the handling of this case is likely to remain a litmus test for the country’s commitment to the rule of law, civil liberties and institutional accountability.