The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has confirmed that Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira of Masaka Diocese is in safe and lawful custody over alleged involvement in subversive activities against the state, dismissing claims that the Catholic priest was kidnapped.
In a press statement issued on 14 December 2025, the UPDF said the priest was arrested by security forces as part of ongoing criminal investigations and will be produced in court.
“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,” said Col. Chris Magezi, the Acting Director of Defence Public Information.
Col. Magezi stressed that the cleric is being held legally and under established procedures.
“Rev. Fr. Ssekabira is currently in lawful custody to assist with further investigations into the matter. He will be produced in the courts of law and charged accordingly,” he said.
The UPDF confirmation comes amid heightened public concern following a pastoral letter issued by the Bishop of Masaka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Serverus Jjumba, which stated that the priest had been kidnapped by men in Uganda Army uniform.
In a statement dated 13 December 2025, Bishop Jjumba told the faithful that Fr. Ssekabira, a curate at Bumangi Parish and Director of Uplift Primary School, was seized from his office in Masaka City.
“Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira… was kidnapped by men in Uganda Army uniform, with a drone, on Wednesday 3rd December 2025 at 1:00 pm, at Katwe in Masaka City,” Bishop Jjumba wrote.
The Bishop described the incident as deeply distressing to the Diocese and the wider Catholic Church, noting that initial efforts to trace the priest had been unsuccessful.
“All efforts to locate him have so far been fruitless. It is a grievous wound inflicted on Masaka Diocese, the entire Catholic Church, and Fr. Ssekabira’s family,” he said.
He further revealed that the Diocese had organised special prayers for the priest’s safety, calling on believers to observe a Rosary Triduum across parishes and homes.
The UPDF statement, however, directly contradicts the Diocese’s account, with the military insisting that Fr. Ssekabira’s detention followed a lawful arrest and not an abduction.
By publicly confirming the priest’s status and whereabouts, the UPDF has now clarified that he is alive and in safe custody, shifting the narrative from an alleged enforced disappearance to a security investigation.
As of Sunday, the military had not disclosed specific details of the alleged subversive activities, saying investigations are still ongoing. The Masaka Diocese has yet to issue a fresh response following the UPDF clarification.
