Uganda Catholic Lawyers Condemn Detention of Abducted Priest, Demand Court Appearance and Due Process

They recall that Fr. Ssekabira was abducted on December 3 by “armed security operatives traveling in unmarked vehicles, without a warrant, without identification, and without disclosure of the grounds of arrest.” 

UCLS members further state that the Ugandan Catholic Priest was “subsequently held incommunicado in an ungazetted detention facility, outside the supervision of any legally established detention authority.”

“For ten days, the priest’s whereabouts were concealed, his family, his Diocese, and his legal representatives denied access, and the law rendered silent,” they lament, and describe the 10-day period as “an enforced disappearance, a practice expressly prohibited under Uganda’s Constitution, domestic law, and binding international human-rights obligations.”

The Catholic lawyers argue that the circumstances surrounding Fr. Ssekabira’s arrest and detention amount to “multiple grave violations of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995.” 

They cite provisions guaranteeing the protection of personal liberty, freedom from torture and cruel or degrading treatment, the right to a fair and speedy hearing, and non-derogable rights, including habeas corpus.

The Catholic legal practitioners warn that “the use of unmarked vehicles, non-identified operatives, secret detention facilities, and delayed disclosure of custody are hallmarks of unconstitutional security practices that undermine the rule of law and erode public confidence in state institutions.”

Addressing the question of military custody, the UCLS members reiterate that “civilians must not be subjected to military detention or trial, save in strictly limited circumstances provided for by law.” 

They stress that “allegations of ‘involvement in subversive activities’ do not suspend constitutional safeguards,” adding that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) “is bound by the Constitution and cannot substitute lawful criminal process with military custody.”

The Catholic lawyers further caution that “security concerns, however framed, cannot justify abduction, secrecy, or denial of due process.”

In their December 14 statement, UCLS members make a series of calls to state institutions, beginning with the UPDF. They urge the military “to immediately produce Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira before a competent civilian court,” to grant him “unrestricted access to legal counsel, family, and ecclesiastical authorities,” and to disclose “the legal basis, place of detention, and conditions of custody.”

They also call on the Director of Public Prosecutions “to urgently review the legality of the arrest and detention” and “to either lawfully charge the priest in a civilian court or order his immediate release.”

Turning to the Judiciary, the Catholic lawyers urge it “to remain vigilant and assert its constitutional role as the guardian of liberty, including through habeas corpus where necessary.” 

They further call on the Uganda Human Rights Commission “to commence an independent investigation into the abduction, disappearance, and detention” and “to visit the place of detention and report publicly on compliance with human rights standards.”

In their four-page statement, the Catholic lawyers also appeal to Parliament to “exercise its oversight role over security agencies, particularly regarding the persistent use of ungazetted detention facilities and enforced disappearances.”

Beyond state institutions, the UCLS members urge religious and civil society bodies “to stand in solidarity with the Diocese of Masaka and all victims of enforced disappearance” and “to speak without fear in defense of constitutionalism, human dignity, and the sanctity of life.”

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They frame the case of Fr. Ssekabira as a broader national concern. “The abduction and secret detention of any Ugandan is not merely an attack on an individual; it is an assault on the Constitution, the rule of law, and the moral fabric of the nation,” UCLS members says.

They warn against governance by coercion and secrecy, stating, “Uganda cannot be governed by fear, secrecy, or force.” They further emphasize that “no citizen—cleric or lay, critic or supporter—stands outside the protection of the law.”

The Catholic legal practitioners in Uganda affirm their solidarity with Fr. Ssekabira, Masaka Diocese, and all Ugandans seeking justice, legality, and respect for human dignity, noting that they continue to pray “for peace, truth, and the restoration of constitutional order.”

As the case of Fr. Ssekabira moves toward possible court proceedings in Uganda, the Catholic lawyers’ intervention adds to mounting scrutiny over due process, military involvement in civilian cases, and the broader implications for Church–state relations and constitutional governance in the East African nation.