KAMPALA, Uganda — Growing concern has emerged over the whereabouts of veteran Ugandan politician and human rights activist Dr Miria Matembe after she reportedly disappeared following a security operation at her residence in Luzira, Kampala, earlier this week.
Family members say they have not heard from the former Ethics and Integrity Minister since the incident, raising fears among relatives, political allies and human rights advocates.
Speaking on Friday, her husband, Nehemiah Matembe, said the family remains in the dark about her whereabouts.
“She has not returned since then. We don’t know where she is. Ever since the raid, we have not heard from her. We appeal to whomever has Matembe to release her to return home,” he said.
According to family accounts, Matembe left her lakeside residence for her routine morning jog on the day security operatives reportedly raided the property and has not been seen since.
Family friend and media personality Junior Dave Kazoora said efforts to trace the veteran activist have so far yielded no answers.
“She left home for her usual jog and never returned. So we don’t know what happened to her,” Kazoora said, urging relatives, friends and well-wishers to help locate her.
The reported disappearance comes days after security personnel conducted a search operation at Matembe’s residence in Luzira.
According to her family, the group consisted of both uniformed soldiers and plain-clothed operatives who entered the property without identifying themselves or explaining the purpose of the operation.
Witnesses said two women and one man dressed in civilian clothes entered the compound while two armed soldiers remained stationed outside.
The operatives reportedly arrived in a Toyota vehicle commonly referred to in Uganda as a “drone” — a term often used to describe unmarked vehicles allegedly linked to security operations.
Nehemiah Matembe said the officers searched multiple sections of the house, including bedrooms and bathrooms, but neither seized property nor provided any explanation for the search.
“They found me in the sitting room. I asked who they were and what they wanted, but they ignored me, searched the bedroom and bathroom, then returned. I continued asking questions, but they never responded,” he said.
The family believes the operatives may have intended to arrest or detain Matembe, who had reportedly left the residence shortly before they arrived.
The incident has triggered concern among opposition leaders, civil society activists and human rights defenders.
Barbie Kyagulanyi, wife of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, commonly known as Bobi Wine, condemned the reported raid and expressed solidarity with Matembe and human rights lawyer Sarah Bireete, whose residence was also reportedly searched this week.
“My heart goes out to Maama Dr Miria Matembe who is being hunted down and our sister Sarah Bireete who just got raided,” Kyagulanyi said.
She accused authorities of attempting to intimidate government critics through fear and harassment.
“They have built a throne for fear to reign among us and when they raid our homes and strip our dignity bare, they think they will undress our courage.”
Kyagulanyi further called for solidarity with women and families affected by alleged human rights abuses, including raids, abductions and prolonged detentions.
Matembe is one of Uganda’s most prominent women’s rights advocates and democracy campaigners.
A former cabinet minister and co-founder of the Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention, she played a significant role in Uganda’s constitutional reform process and was among the framers of the country’s 1995 Constitution.
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She parted ways with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in 2003 after opposing the removal of presidential term limits, a move that paved the way for President Yoweri Museveni to seek additional terms in office.
In recent years, Matembe has become an outspoken critic of the government, frequently speaking out against alleged human rights violations, enforced disappearances and what she describes as the weakening of democratic institutions.
Her reported disappearance comes amid increasing concern from opposition politicians and rights organisations over alleged abductions, arrests and intimidation targeting government critics ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
By Saturday evening, security agencies had not issued any public statement regarding Matembe’s whereabouts or the purpose of the operation conducted at her residence.
Family members, colleagues and rights groups continue to call for information about her location and safety.
