The Chief of Defence Forces and other top security officials have been put on notice to produce a missing mother and her daughter, dead or alive, with petitioners telling the High Court in Kampala that state agents are responsible for their alleged abduction.
The application for a Writ of Habeas Corpus Ad Subjiciendum has been lodged in the High Court of Uganda, Civil Division, seeking the immediate accounting and release of Sarah Nambogo and her 13-year-old daughter, Christella Nabisibi.
The filing directly confronts the state apparatus, implicating the country’s highest defense and security chiefs in the alleged unlawful detention.
The application names the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security (CDIS), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Attorney General as respondents.
The supporting affidavit, sworn by Sam Mukalazi, son of Ms Nambogo, recounts a chilling narrative of the mother and daughter’s seizure and their incommunicado status since Friday, December 12, 2025.
Mr Mukalazi states that Ms Nambogo and Christella were taken at approximately 10:30 a.m. from the Kampala Club premises by several individuals in civilian attire.
He says the abductors were “armed with and wielding AK-47 assault rifles,” and used a silver Toyota Noah (Reg. No UBP 791G).
The legal basis of the filing rests on the alleged violation of constitutional rights: “The Applicants have been held for over three (3) days without being brought before a court, charged, or released, and all efforts to trace them through the various detention facilities have been unsuccessful.”
Counsel for the applicants argues that detention beyond the constitutionally guaranteed 48-hour period is illegal and unconstitutional, representing an abuse of the legal process.
History of State Abduction Cited
Adding weight to the case, the affidavit alleges a pattern of identical conduct by state operatives. Mr. Mukalazi attests that in 2023, he and his mother were similarly abducted and detained at Mbuya Military Headquarters, where they endured “physical and mental torture.”
He further states: “I believe that the individuals who abducted my mother and me in 2023, and those who abducted my mother and my sister on 12th December 2025, are the same people, being operatives or agents of the Respondents.”
The legal team warns of the risks inherent in this type of detention: “There is great concern and anxiety among the friends and family of the Applicants that they could be subjected to torture, inhumane and or cruel treatment at the hands of the operatives of the police or defence or intelligence forces.”
The affidavit also underscores the particular vulnerability of the minor, Christella Nabisibi.
The applicants’ lawyers argue that the abduction and detention of the school-going child disregard the universally accepted Welfare Principle, which mandates that the best interests of the child be the primary consideration in any action affecting them.
The filing states that the continued detention amounts to psychological torture, inhuman, cruel, and degrading treatment.
The legal action seeks a High Court order to: "bring an end to the illegal military detention of the Applicants and orders their unconditional liberty."
The filing represents a serious challenge to the state’s adherence to the rule of law, placing the burden of proof squarely on the security agencies to account for the whereabouts of the mother and daughter.
The court must now schedule a hearing to compel the respondents to produce the applicants.