German pastor Martin Niemöller, reflecting on the rise of Nazi Germany, wrote the now famous words: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Socialist... Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” Nearly a century later, his warning continues to resonate across societies where fear, repression, and public silence coexist.
Uganda today finds itself confronting a troubling question: when fellow citizens are abducted, disappear, or are detained under controversial circumstances, why do so many remain silent?
Our silence has often been selective.
When Yasin Kawuma, driver to National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, was killed in Arua in August 2018, many dismissed it as merely opposition politics. It was easy for those unaffected to move on.
When John Bosco Kibalama, an accountant and former People Power supporter, disappeared on June 3, 2019, and as of today, he is still missing, many remained indifferent because he was viewed as just another rising political actor until November 6, 2025, when we went for the burial of his wife, Monica Nabukeera Kibalama, in Biharwe, Mbarara.
The turbulent election period of 2020 exposed the fragility of our collective conscience. Daudi Niwabine disappeared in November 2020, but few demanded answers. Martin Lukwago, a trader from Bugolobi Market, was reportedly abducted on November 23, 2020. Moses Mbabazi, a mechanic from Kisekka Market, disappeared on November 26, 2020. Michael Semuddu disappeared on November 28, 2020, and, according to relatives and colleagues, remains unaccounted for.
Vincent Nalumoso, another market trader, reportedly disappeared on December 1, 2020. Denis Matovu and Richard Sonko disappeared on December 8, 2020. John Ddamulira, associated with Kisekka Market, also disappeared during the same period. Yet many Ugandans remained silent because these were “just traders.” And others couldn’t believe it was true until Mr. John Ddamulira didn’t show up on the burial of his beloved wife, Sarah Nantumbwe Ddamulira, who passed on June 13, 2026.
The message society unintentionally communicated was chilling: some lives mattered less than others.
Then they came for Anthony Agaba, aka Bobi Wine, on May 23, 2024. Again, public outrage was fleeting.
On August 1, 2024, Achileo Kivumbi, who served as head of security at NUP headquarters, reportedly disappeared under controversial circumstances. On November 16, 2024, veteran opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and former personal physician to President Museveni, was arrested under circumstances that reignited national debate about political freedoms and due process.
When Eddie Mutwe, Robert Kyagulanyi’s chief bodyguard, was abducted in April 2025, many believed the matter concerned only NUP supporters. Sam Mugumya, a long-time political activist, reportedly disappeared in August 2025, yet sections of the public rationalized his predicament because of his political affiliation.
On September 8, 2025, Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, deputy spokesperson of NUP, was arrested, but instead of demanding accountability, some blamed him for being “too radical.” While others came out to speak when he lost his wife, Edith Katende Mufumbiro, on April 8, 2026.
I write this not as a detached observer but as someone who experienced the reality firsthand. On November 7, 2025, I (Richard Mbayo) was among 89 individuals arrested in Mbarara during Bobi Wine, aka Robert Kyagulanyi’s presidential campaign. While many of us were eventually released, others, including Comrade Olivia Lutaaya, remained in detention for prolonged periods. All I still remember is the security at Mbarara CID office questioning me why I didn’t wait for Kyagulanyi to come to my home district.
December 30, 2025, Sarah Bireete was arrested at her home in Mukono and later arraigned in court on January 2, 2026, but still only few especially in the civil society organisations and Women groups came out to speak.
In January 2026, Muwanga Kivumbi, Member of Parliament for Butambala County, and several others were arrested amid post-election tensions. Reports of deaths and violence emerged, yet many Ugandans once again retreated into silence. This was followed by the abduction of Dr Lina Zedriga on January 16, 2026, and Jolly Jackline Tukamushaba, the NUP Deputy presidents of Northern Uganda and Western Uganda, respectively, were abducted, later brought to court and they are on court bail today, but still few came out to speak because it was an NUP matter.
When Robert Kyagulanyi reportedly went into hiding and later into exile in January 2026, some dismissed it as merely another chapter in Uganda’s partisan politics.
The trend continued in 2026. Gen Blue Tick (Agatha Nazziwa) was reportedly abducted on April 9, 2026. Many didn’t come out to speak for her because she is just a foot soldier. On June 17, 2026, photographer Andrew Nabimanya, popularly known as Ninye Tabz, affiliated with the NUP, was reportedly abducted and later released.
Kampala City Former Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago reportedly faced arrest and detention on June 15, 2026, and he is still in Luzira Maximum Prison. Most recently, concerns were raised about the whereabouts of former minister and Constituent Assembly member Miria Matembe.
One need not belong to NUP, FDC, PFF, NRM, or any political organization to be concerned by these developments. Human rights are universal. Due process is universal. The rule of law is universal.
The true test of a democratic society is not how it treats the powerful or the popular. It is how it treats ordinary citizens, political opponents, journalists, traders, activists, or drivers like Yasin Kawuma, and critics.
History teaches that repression rarely begins by targeting everyone at once. It starts with those at the margins, the unpopular, the outspoken, the politically inconvenient. The majority remain silent, believing they are safe. But once arbitrary power becomes normalized, no one is truly secure.
German Pastor Martin Niemöller’s warning remains timeless because it captures an uncomfortable truth: indifference to the suffering of others eventually threatens us all.
If we remain silent when injustice befalls others because they are “not our people,” we may one day discover that there is no one left to speak when injustice comes for us.
The question, therefore, is simple: Who will speak when they come for you?
Richard Mbayo, PhD, is a scholar, politician, Pan-Africanist, and columnist whose work focuses on governance, civil-military relations, and international politics. He writes on democracy, development, and global power dynamics.