By Mulengera Reporters
The political winds in Rukungiri Municipality have shifted and at the center of the storm is a man many thought would never return to Uganda’s political frontline.
Sam Mugumya, the once-fiery aide to opposition icon Dr. Kiiza Besigye, has re-emerged after spending more than eight years in military detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Now, he’s mounting a bold campaign to become Rukungiri’s next Member of Parliament and his biggest challenge lies not only in the opposition primaries, but in the looming battle with Security Minister Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde.
For many, Mugumya’s political resurrection is nothing short of dramatic.
Vanished from the public eye in 2014, arrested on foreign soil under mysterious accusations of plotting rebellion, his name lived on only in whispered conversations, diplomatic reports, and frustrated human rights campaigns.
For years, he was held without trial, his fate uncertain until 2022, when he was quietly released.
Now, in a move that’s electrifying Uganda’s opposition landscape, Mugumya is contesting under the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) ticket.
But first, he must outmaneuver two seasoned opponents in the party’s internal contest: Ingrid Turinawe, a formidable activist who has twice sought election in the district, and Roland Mugume Kaginda, the former MP for the constituency.
If he wins the PFF ticket, Mugumya will face Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, a decorated army officer turned politician, who recently secured the NRM’s nomination after defeating incumbent MP Dr. Elisa Rutahirwa with 4,517 votes (45.6%).
Tumukunde’s military background and government ties make him a powerhouse opponent but Mugumya’s return has thrown an unpredictable wildcard into the race.
Backed by prominent figures in the opposition, Mugumya’s candidacy is already gaining momentum. Winnie Byanyima, wife to Dr. Besigye and a respected international diplomat endorsed him via X:
“As a resident of Rukungiri Municipality, I wholeheartedly endorse Sam Mugumya. He is tested. Sam is a fearless defender of human rights and a champion of justice and democracy.”
Mugumya’s political roots run deep. A former political science student at Makerere University, he cut his teeth in the FDC Youth League, later rising to become a key figure in the Activists for Change movement.
During the 2011 “Walk to Work” protests, he stood alongside Besigye, often shielding him from the police a role that made him a symbol of defiance to some and a threat to the state to others.
His 2014 arrest in the DRC under pseudonyms and the murky allegations of plotting a rebellion against Uganda led to years of silence and diplomatic stonewalling.
Despite repeated efforts by FDC members to secure his release, and legal attempts to block DRC’s admission into the East African Community due to human rights violations, Mugumya remained behind bars until his quiet return home.
Now 43, Mugumya says he’s ready to turn his experience into political action.
“I’ve paid the price. I’ve been tested. I didn’t return for comfort, I returned for justice,” he recently told supporters.
But his reappearance is also reigniting old tensions within the opposition.
With Turinawe and Kaginda both seeking to reclaim political ground, the PFF’s internal contest could fracture before it unites.
And all the while, Tumukunde waits a symbol of the military’s enduring influence in Ugandan politics, and a reminder of what Mugumya is really up against.
In Rukungiri, what was once a quiet parliamentary race has exploded into a full-blown political showdown between a former general and a former prisoner, between establishments might and revolutionary grit.
One thing is clear: Sam Mugumya is back and this time, he’s not backing down. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
