The news of the past days about the disappearance and arrest of Sam Mugumya has shaken me deeply. These developments reverberate not only in Uganda but are now drawing international concern. Sam was abducted while having breakfast in Mbarara—without a warrant, without charges, without any legal basis.

I first came to know Sam’s name more than two decades ago through the work of my husband, Rauxen Zedriga. Before his own disappearance in August 2001, Rauxen and the young Sam were comrades with the same goals: democratic reform and a Uganda where dignity and rights are real in practice for all. My husband, who served as a campaign coordinator for Dr Kizza Besigye, vanished then and has never been seen since. His fate remains unresolved.

Sam emerged from that generation of reformers. Already during his years at Makerere University, he was active in the Reform Agenda, later serving as General Secretary of the FDC Youth League. In 2014, he was abducted and held without trial in Ndolo Military Prison in the DRC—eight long years in captivity. It was in this hellish environment that his poems were born: shaped by isolation and oppression, yet filled with hope.

A few weeks ago, I received his poetry collection, We Refuse to Be Victims. Reading it moved me profoundly. I could not help but think that my husband may have endured similar suffering, and I thought of the countless Ugandans who are today unjustly imprisoned simply for standing for freedom and democracy. Sam’s poems are not laments but disciplined acts of resistance—testimonies of resilience that assert hope against darkness.

At the launch of the collection at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Nairobi, this meaning was palpable. Martha Karua, who opened the event, reminded us that this was not just a book launch but the celebration of a legacy that resonates far beyond Uganda. Sam himself spoke about his motivation, his passion, and the goals he has fought for all his life. Eight years in prison could not break him—they only strengthened him. His return from exile and his decision to contest a parliamentary seat in Rukungiri are proof of his unshakeable spirit.

For me, this shows a painful continuity. The goals for which my husband fought more than twenty years ago remain the same today: free elections, rule of law, observance and respect for human dignity. In between, countless others have disappeared or lost their precious years behind bars. I think of Eddie Mutwe, Archileo and comrades, and Bobi Young, whom I just recently visited in prison and stood in solidarity with in court during their denied bail applications. Each abduction, each unjust imprisonment, may seek to prevent revolution—but in truth, with every silenced voice, another one rises. As long as freedom, justice, and opportunity are absent, their numbers will only grow.

One may silence individuals, but never the idea of freedom. Intelligent, courageous citizens with an unwavering passion for their homeland should be shaping Uganda’s future—not rotting behind bars.

That is why I raise my voice to the world: free Sam Mugumya and all prisoners of conscience!