NUP Mobilizer Moses Byron Jjemba Abducted on Election Day in Mityana, Eyewitnesses Describe “Drone” Abduction

Mityana, Uganda – The shocking abduction of Moses Byron Jjemba, a dedicated National Unity Platform (NUP) mobilizer in Mityana, on January 14, 2021, ignited fresh outrage and deepened concerns about the intimidation tactics employed during Uganda’s contentious general elections.

Jjemba was reportedly seized by security officers in a chilling “drone” abduction while on his way to a polling station in Kiyinda, moments after stepping out to purchase lunch for his colleagues.

The incident unfolded on a day already fraught with palpable tension and widespread security deployment across the country. Jjemba, a vital cog in the NUP’s Mityana operations, was en route to the Kiyinda polling station, where he was tasked with overseeing the integrity of the vote for then-presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.

According to eyewitnesses, he had just disembarked from a vehicle to buy lunch when an unmarked van, commonly referred to as a “drone,” abruptly pulled up.

Without warning or explanation, individuals identified as security personnel forcefully apprehended Jjemba and dragged him into the waiting vehicle before speeding off.
The sudden and brutal nature of his abduction sent immediate alarm through the NUP ranks.

His colleagues, who witnessed the harrowing event, were left in shock and disbelief, unable to intervene as the drone vanished from sight. The use of “drone” vans for abductions became a chilling hallmark of the 2021 election period, with numerous reports of opposition supporters and activists being seized in a similar fashion, often without official explanation or accountability.

Jjemba’s disappearance swiftly became another poignant example in a disturbing pattern of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests that targeted NUP members and supporters.

The NUP consistently highlighted these incidents as a deliberate strategy by the state to sow fear, dismantle opposition structures, and stifle dissent ahead of and after the highly contested elections. Bobi Wine’s campaign was itself subjected to relentless harassment, including violent disruptions of rallies and repeated arrests of his team members.

Human rights organizations, both within Uganda and internationally, extensively documented the pervasive human rights violations that marred the 2021 electoral process.

Their reports detailed widespread abuses including torture, arbitrary detentions, and extrajudicial killings. The specific circumstances of Moses Byron Jjemba’s abduction, carried out in broad daylight on election day while he was fulfilling his civic duty, underscore the extreme risks faced by those who dared to openly support the opposition and advocate for a free and fair electoral process in Uganda.

The whereabouts and fate of Moses Byron Jjemba remain a painful question for his family and the NUP, symbolizing the enduring challenges to human rights and democratic participation in Uganda.