The Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) have confirmed that they are holding Rev Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira, a Catholic priest from Masaka Diocese who went missing earlier this month.
The confirmation ends days of uncertainty but it does not help the matter as it intensifies debate over the role of the military in civilian arrests.
In a statement dated December 14, 2025, the UPDF said the priest was arrested by security forces and is being investigated for alleged involvement in "violent subversive activities against the state."
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"This is to confirm that Rev Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira of Masaka Diocese was recently arrested by the security forces for involvement in violent subversive activities against the state," the statement reads.
"Rev Fr Ssekabira is currently in lawful custody to assist with further investigations into the matter. He will be produced in the courts of law and charged accordingly."
The statement, signed by Colonel Chris Magezi, the acting Director of Defence Public Information, marks the first official acknowledgement by the military after days of mounting pressure from the Catholic Church, the public, and political leaders.
The confirmation sharply contrasts with earlier statements from the Uganda Police Force, which said it was unaware of the priest's whereabouts.
Police had noted "social media reports alleging the abduction of Rev Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira" and said they were "currently verifying these claims" and would update the public once more information was obtained.
Masaka Diocese has consistently described the priest's disappearance as a kidnapping carried out by men in military uniform.
In a statement dated December 13, 2025, Bishop Severus Jjumba said Fr Ssekabira, a curate at Bumangi Parish and director of Uplift Primary School, was seized on December 3, 2025, at around 1:00 pm in Katwe, Masaka City.
"Rev Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira, a priest of Masaka Diocese, was kidnapped by men in Uganda Army uniform, with a drone, on Wednesday 3rd December 2025," Bishop Jjumba wrote.
"All efforts to locate him have so far been fruitless. It is a grievous wound inflicted on Masaka Diocese, the entire Catholic Church, and Fr Ssekabira's family."
The bishop said the diocese, together with its lawyers, was working to secure the priest's release and had called for special prayers, including a Rosary Triduum, invoking the painful memory of Msgr. Clement Mukasa, who was kidnapped in 1976 and never seen again.
The military's admission has also drawn a strong reaction from opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, who is challenging President Museveni's four-decade rule in the January 15 polls.
"What Museveni has turned Uganda into!" Kyagulanyi said in a statement. "Police earlier said they don't know the whereabouts of Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira only for the military to come out confirming they have him under their custody. The military has no place detaining civilians."
Kyagulanyi accused the UPDF of operating illegal detention centres and holding civilians incommunicado.
"No wonder, a few days ago, they stated that they have no places of detention, that all those they 'arrest' are handed over to police, which is a ridiculous lie," he said, linking the priest's case to previous allegations involving opposition supporters held at military barracks and so-called safe houses.
As public debate intensifies, an unverified message circulating on WhatsApp has attempted to offer an alternative explanation for the priest's ordeal, alleging a family dispute linked to the management of a charity school.
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The message claims that tensions arose between Fr Ssekabira and a sister over attempts to turn a donor-funded charitable school into a private business, and alleges that false accusations were later made against the priest.
However, The Nile Post has not independently verified these claims, and neither the UPDF nor the police have linked the arrest to any family dispute.
For now, the case has reignited long-standing concerns about enforced disappearances, military involvement in civilian law enforcement, and due process, with religious leaders and rights advocates demanding that Fr Ssekabira be either promptly charged in a civilian court or released.
