• Sam Mugumya, former aide and bodyguard to Dr. Kizza Besigye, has announced his bid for the Rukungiri Municipality MP seat in the 2026–2031 term under the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF). 
  • A political science graduate and former FDC youth leader, Mugumya endured 8 years in a Congolese military prison after fleeing persecution. 

Sam Mugumya who is widely known for his unwavering loyalty as the personal aide and bodyguard to Dr. Kizza Besigye has decided to join active politics.

According to an official poster seen by this website, Mugumya is seeking to serve his home area as a parliamentary candidate for Rukungiri Municipality (2026–2031).

This campaign poster belongs to Besigye’s newly founded People’s Front for Freedom (PFF). His political slogan which is in Runyankore says that “Listen, Carefully Think and Sieve.”

Apparently, Mugumya’s story is one marked by sacrifice and resilience. He’s a political science graduate from Makerere University in the year 2006. Mugumya emerged as an FDC youth organizer and quickly became one of Besigye’s most trusted aides.

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He constantly risked arrest and physical harm, famously taking hits meant for his boss during protests. He became more famous in 2014 when he was facing wave of charges from the regime.

Left with no option, he fled government persecution and crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with fellow activists, seeking asylum.

Unfortunately for them, they were arrested on charges of illegal entry, suspected connections to rebel groups, and detained at Ndolo military prison.

Despite calls from Besigye and human rights groups, Mugumya was held without formal trial for eight years.

He was finally, in October 2022 released from detention. Besigye and FDC leaders coordinated with the Ugandan embassy in Kinshasa to secure his freedom and possible resettlement abroad under UN protection.

As he enters the political arena, Mugumya now faces the challenges of reintegration in the leadership circles. He will have to rebuild community trust by mobilizing support after years in exile.

However his resilience, endurance, and principled history place him as a formidable contender in Rukungiri’s political terrain where PFF/ formerly FDC enjoy strong support as it’s Besigye’s home.