By Swift Reporter
Prominent social media influencer, photojournalist, and anti-corruption whistleblower Andrew Nabimanya, popularly known as Ninye Tabz, was reportedly abducted on Wednesday evening by unidentified security operatives in Kampala.
According to officials from the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), Nabimanya was seized in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb known as a stronghold of opposition support, by armed plainclothes operatives travelling in a Toyota Hiace minibus, commonly referred to as a “drone”, a vehicle frequently associated with covert security operations and controversial arrests.
NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya confirmed the incident through a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday evening.
“We’ve just been informed of the abduction of Ninye Tabz from Kamwokya a short while ago. He has been whisked away in a drone. The lawlessness continues!” Rubongoya wrote.
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Nakawa West Member of Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi also condemned the reported arrest, describing it as part of a growing pattern of targeted operations against opposition supporters.
“The senseless abductions continue, Tabz Ninye Tabz has been taken by a drone from Kamwokya!!” Ssenyonyi posted on X.
Nabimanya gained prominence through his work as a photojournalist and social media activist, particularly for exposing alleged corruption in government institutions.
He was among the whistleblowers who amplified public scrutiny during recent anti-graft investigations involving several government agencies, including Parliament. The investigations attracted national attention after security agencies searched residences linked to senior government officials and impounded vehicles connected to the probe.
His reported abduction comes just days after the arrest of veteran opposition politician and lawyer Erias Lukwago, the President of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF).
Lukwago was arrested during a security operation at his home on June 15 and later held in undisclosed military detention for two days before being presented at Kira Divisional Police Station in Wakiso District.
Authorities subsequently charged Lukwago with misprision of treason before remanding him to Luzira Prison.
The latest incident has intensified concerns among opposition groups and civil society organizations over what they describe as a resurgence of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests.
NUP and other pro-democracy groups have accused security agencies of carrying out what they term “silent abductions” of opposition supporters since the January 2021 general elections.
According to party officials, thousands of supporters have allegedly been detained on politically related charges over the years.
The opposition party claims that more than 3,000 of its members remain in detention facilities across the country facing various political and security-related charges.
However, government security agencies, including the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), have consistently rejected allegations of abductions. Officials maintain that individuals accused by opposition groups of being kidnapped were lawfully arrested and are facing legitimate criminal or national security investigations.
As of Thursday morning, the whereabouts of Nabimanya remained unknown, and no official statement had been issued by security agencies regarding his arrest or detention.
Human rights advocates have repeatedly called for transparency and adherence to due process in all security operations, warning that continued reports of unexplained arrests risk undermining public confidence in the rule of law and democratic governance.
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