The fate of missing supporters of leading opposition political party, National Unity Platform (NUP) is still unknown. Among them, is businessman and activist, Ssemambo Rashid Sydney alias Papa.
Ssemambo was last seen in Kalangala on December 30 at the aborted campaign rally of NUP leader and presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine. He was in charge of the general welfare of the campaign trail.
His whereabouts have remained unknown following his arrest in Kalangala on the same day despite efforts by his family to trace him.
Ssemambo was part of the members of Bobi’s campaign team sieged by security operatives in Kalangala Islands where they had traveled with Bobi Wine for his electoral campaign visit to the area ahead of presidential elections slated for this month.
No further details of their arrest were immediately issued. It was later established that during the siege, Bobi Wine was immediately airlifted from the Islands to Kampala and later whisked to his home in Magere, Kasangati in Wakiso district.
However, dozens of members of his campaign team including his Chief bodyguard Eddie Mutwe, Nubian Li, Rashid Ssemambo Sydney were arrested.
Mutwe, Nubian Li and some others were remanded to Kitalya government prison. Ssemambo was not among those remanded, sparking fear among his friends, relatives and his political party, NUP, to which he subscribes.
“Of course we are worried. In dictatorships anything is possible. This campaign has cost us a couple of lives already and so, we can’t take anything for granted.
“Ssemambo has been so instrumental on our campaign trail. He is not a criminal. If at all the State thinks he committed any crime, why not present him to court of law?” asked Joel Ssenyonyi, the Spokesperson of the NUP.
The party spokesperson however notes that “such criminal acts are not new in dictatorial regimes like this of Yoweri Museveni.” To him, holding suspects incommunicado by the State is only intended to threaten and silence voices opposed to the status quo.
Kiyingi Ramadhan, his cousin brother, told this investigative news website that Ssemambo’s wife and children are so scared and worried about what could befall their breadwinner at home.
“He is everything at home. Our family depends entirely on him. We have tried to reach different police stations and detention facilities but we failed to locate him. We ask government to present him to court if at all he has any cases to answer,” Kiyingi says.
When contacted on phone on the matter, Police Spokesperson, CP Fred Enanga referred us to the army spokesperson Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso. Our efforts to speak to Byekwaso were futile since she could not pick our repeated calls.
Ssemambo, a former Makerere University Guild President contestant, previously subscribed to opposition political party, Democratic Party (DP).
This month’s election pits Bobi Wine and nine other opposition candidates against ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate and incumbent president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who has been in power for close to four decades.
Ssemambo has for long been in the spotlight for opposing President Yoweri Museveni and what he publicly regards as his “misrule” against the people of Uganda.
At rally in Masaka in November, he said Uganda will only be free only when President Museveni leaves power.
“We can’t breath, no opportunity to speak. The dictatorship has suffocated every one who opposes his misrule. Let us all vote him out and liberate our country. Uganda doesn’t belong to Museveni, it belongs to all of us. Time for dictators is over,” Ssemambo said.
On November 18, Bobi Wine was arrested in Luuka District, sparking a wave of protests in several parts of the country. Police at that time accused him of having more than 200 supporters recommended by the EC to contain further spread of Covid-19.
Official figures from authorities showed that over 58 people died during the November 18/19 protests that ushered the country into a violent start to its electoral period.