Uganda’s defence forces confirm Catholic priest Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira, missing since Dec 3, is in custody for alleged violent subversive activities against the state.
Newsroom (15/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) Uganda’s defence authorities have confirmed that Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Masaka whose sudden disappearance earlier this month prompted widespread concern and diocesan-wide prayers, is being held in lawful custody on allegations of involvement in violent subversive activities threatening state security.
In a statement issued on Sunday, December 12, titled “Ongoing criminal investigations against Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira,” Acting Director of Defence Public Information Col. Chris Magezi announced the priest’s arrest by security forces.
“This is to confirm that Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira of Masaka Diocese was recently arrested by the security forces for involvement in violent subversive activities against the state,” Col. Magezi stated.
The military official emphasized that Fr. Ssekabira remains in lawful detention as investigations proceed. “Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira is currently in lawful custody to assist with further investigations into the matter,” he added, assuring that the case would follow formal legal procedures. “He will be produced in the courts of law and charged accordingly.”
The one-page statement provided no additional details regarding the specific nature of the alleged activities or the expected timeline for the investigations.
The confirmation ends days of uncertainty surrounding Fr. Ssekabira’s whereabouts. The priest, who serves as assistant parish priest at Bumangi Parish and director of Uplift Primary School, was reportedly taken on December 3 at approximately 1:00 p.m. from his office in Katwe, Masaka City, by individuals described as wearing Uganda Army uniforms and employing a drone.
Masaka Diocese’s Local Ordinary, Bishop Serverus Jjumba, had earlier reported the incident, describing efforts to locate the priest as unsuccessful. In statements issued prior to the military’s announcement, Bishop Jjumba characterized the disappearance as “a grievous wound” inflicted on the diocese, the broader Catholic Church in Uganda, and Fr. Ssekabira’s family.
Responding to the initial reports, Bishop Jjumba directed intensified prayers across the diocese. On December 8, coinciding with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, he instructed priests to lead a Rosary Triduum focusing on the Sorrowful Mysteries, interceding for the missing cleric, the Church, and the nation.
In a December 13 statement released from Our Lady of Sorrows, Kitovu Cathedral, Bishop Jjumba extended the prayer directive to all faithful in the diocese, urging them to participate in the Rosary Triduum from their homes, parishes, and communities. “I am calling upon all Christ’s faithful of Masaka Diocese… to do a Rosary Triduum, with Sorrowful Mysteries, praying that God’s power may reign,” he wrote.
The bishop also invoked historical parallels, recalling the 1975 kidnapping of Msgr. Clement Mukasa from the same cathedral, an incident in which the victim was never seen again. Entrusting the current situation to prayer, Bishop Jjumba concluded by appealing to “Our Lady of Sorrows intercede for us.”
The diocese, in coordination with legal counsel, had been pursuing all available avenues to secure Fr. Ssekabira’s safe return, with Bishop Jjumba noting on December 13 that “all efforts to locate him have so far been fruitless.”
As of the military’s December 12 clarification, Masaka Diocese has not issued a public response.
With the case now set to advance through Uganda’s judicial system, observers are likely to monitor developments closely, particularly regarding adherence to due process, the precise charges to be filed against Fr. Ssekabira, and any broader implications for relations between the Catholic Church and the Ugandan state.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Africa
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