A witness said Muhumuza had been in conversation with a known supporter of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) for about 45 minutes before the situation escalated.
The alleged abduction of National Unity Platform (NUP) Ankole Sub-region coordinator and Mbarara vice chairman, Bright Muhumuza, has sparked widespread concern, with fresh details emerging about the incident.
Reports of his disappearance first surfaced on social media on Tuesday, spreading rapidly across various platforms.
NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, was quick to condemn the act, alleging that heavily armed security personnel abducted Muhumuza in Mbarara City.
"We have just been notified about the abduction, yesterday evening, of our comrade Bright Muhumuza from Mbarara City by heavily armed UPDF soldiers. Apparently, they found him at a restaurant, abducted him, and drove him to an unknown location in a drone Reg. No. UAK 707G," Kyagulanyi posted on X and Facebook.
A waitress at Calabash Café, where Muhumuza was allegedly taken, told The Nile Post that the ordeal began around 8pm when a man dressed in black entered the café.
She said the man sat down and asked to be served but later declined to take anything.
According to her, Muhumuza had been in conversation with a known supporter of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) for about 45 minutes before the situation escalated.
She recounted that the man in black was later joined by two others, who approached Muhumuza and asked him to go with them.
When he resisted, they forcibly dragged him into a silver drone vehicle and sped off toward Kampala. She was too scared to check the number plate.
While Calabash Café has two CCTV cameras installed on its sides, no surveillance footage was available from the entrance and exit points where Muhumuza was allegedly taken.
Speaking to The Nile Post, Simon Mwesigwa, Muhumuza's brother, expressed fear and frustration over his sibling's disappearance.
He said he received a call from two people informing him that Bright had been abducted. Since then, he has reported to the police and DISO but has been unable to locate him.
He added that the family is deeply worried because Muhumuza suffers from noncommunicable diseases.
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NUP Mbarara General Secretary Peter Mpaka decried the incident, saying it signals an escalation of enforced disappearances in the region.
He said the party has heard of abductions happening elsewhere in the country, but now they are experiencing them in Ankole.
Mpaka described the act of kidnapping someone and keeping their whereabouts unknown to their family as simply wrong. He stressed that Muhumuza is a law-abiding citizen, a businessman, and a family man.
His disappearance, he added, violates all legal procedures governing arrests in Uganda. Neither his family nor the party knows where he is.
Robert Twesigye, a member of the People's Front for Freedom (PFF) in Mbarara, warned that opposition supporters in western Uganda are increasingly being targeted.
He said Muhumuza's abduction is a sign that supporting the opposition in western Uganda is becoming dangerous.
He noted that Muhumuza has always spoken out against injustices and misrule, which could be why he was taken.
He issued an ultimatum to security agencies, demanding Muhumuza's release. He warned that they are giving the government and security operatives 24 hours to produce Muhumuza or else they will take action.
He said Muhumuza has a family to care for and that his businesses are now at a standstill.
As pressure mounts from NUP, civil society, and Muhumuza's family, security agencies are yet to issue an official statement on the matter. His whereabouts remain unknown, fueling growing concerns over political repression and the state of human rights in Uganda.
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