By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: High Court Advocate Patrick Mugisha Machiika’s family has pleaded with High Court to issue an order of Habeus Corpus, such that he can be produced in court whether dead or alive.
Mugisha was reportedly abducted from his chambers at Kings Gate Mall in Kabalagala on July 31st, 2019 this year, by three men in plain clothes, who whisked him away to unknown place. Since then efforts by his colleague and family to find out where he is detained have been fruitless.
His wife Janet Kyamazima said Mugisha was taken by security operatives who used a double Cabin car registration number UAQ 597K and drove him away without telling any of his colleagues or family members why he had been arrested and where he was being taken.
Kyamazima told journalists on Sunday that the family has tried looking for him in most of the gazetted places of detention in vain.
She noted that the family is now troubled and worried because Mugisha is being held incommunicado and his safety cannot be guaranteed, so they don’t know whether he is dead or alive.
His daughter Martha Atukunda, who also works as his secretary said they got information from some of their security guards who told them that Mugisha’s abductors had been coming around the offices for some time.
The family has since reported a case of missing person at Kabalagala Police Station on SD/21/02/08/2019.
However, Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson could neither confirm nor deny reporting of the case as the Officer in Charge of Criminal Investigations Department at Kabalagala was not in office.
On Friday, High Court Judge Musa Sekaana issued an order of Habeus Corpus directing the Attorney General and the Security agencies to produce the body of Mugisha dead or alive before court on August 5th, 2019 and show cause as to why he has been held for more than mandatory 48 hours.
The order was specifically directed to the Attorney General William Byaruhanga, the Commander of Special Forces Command, Commandant Special Investigations Unit, Kireka, Uganda Police and the Inspector General of Police.
It should be noted that on August 2nd, 2019, shortly after his abduction, the Uganda Law society issued a press statement condemning Mugisha’s continued detention without trial, although nothing has ever been done by security agencies to locate his whereabouts.
