By Paschal Nobert

MASAKA, FEBRUARY 13, 2026 (CISA) – Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira, the Catholic priest whose arrest and detention by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) sparked widespread concern across Uganda’s Catholic community, has been granted bail by the Masaka High Court after weeks of uncertainty and legal contestation.

Justice Victoria Nakintu Katamba ruled that the priest had presented substantial sureties, allowing him temporary freedom as he faces money laundering charges. The ruling comes after an earlier attempt to secure his release had not succeeded, prolonging his detention and heightening tensions in the diocese and beyond.

Fr. Ssekabira, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Masaka, was reported missing on December 3, 2025, after he was allegedly seized by “men in Uganda Army uniform” while traveling through Masaka City. For nearly two weeks, his whereabouts remained unknown, prompting public outcry and urgent appeals from Church leaders.

In a statement issued December 14, the UPDF confirmed that it was holding the priest in what it described as “lawful custody.” The military alleged that he had been arrested for “involvement in violent subversive activities against the state” and said he was assisting with investigations.

“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,” the UPDF stated, adding “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.”

The statement did not provide detailed evidence to substantiate the claims.

Church Alarm and Political Context

During the period of uncertainty, the Bishop of Masaka, Severus Jjumba, described the priest’s disappearance as “a grievous wound inflicted on Masaka Diocese, the entire Catholic Church, and Father Ssekabira’s family.”

He assured the faithful that diocesan lawyers were doing “whatever is within our means to get back our priest unharmed.”

The arrest occurred against the backdrop of heightened political tensions ahead of Uganda’s General Elections scheduled for January 15, 2026. Uganda has faced sustained criticism from local and international human rights organizations over alleged enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions, particularly during election periods.

Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, publicly criticized the military’s involvement in detaining civilians, stating that “the armed forces have no place detaining civilians” and describing the priest’s arrest as part of a broader pattern of repression.

Money Laundering Charges

When the matter reached court, prosecutors shifted the focus to financial crimes. The Director of Public Prosecutions alleged that between 2023 and 2025 at Centenary Bank’s Masaka Branch, Fr. Ssekabira and others still at large intentionally concealed or disguised the true ownership of 500 million Ugandan Shillings, knowing or suspecting it to be proceeds of crime.

Appearing before Justice Nakintu, Assistant Director of Public Prosecution for Masaka, Brian Kalinaki, objected to the bail application, arguing that the case had not passed through the correct procedural channels to be properly before the High Court.

However, defense lawyers Sam Ssekyewa and Alexander Lule countered that the High Court was the appropriate forum to handle the bail application. Ssekyewa dismissed the prosecution’s jurisdictional objection, insisting that “the High Court is the only court that can handle the bail applications which we filed.”

In her ruling, Justice Nakintu found that the three sureties presented were substantial and met the legal threshold required for bail.

Bail Terms and Sureties

The court granted Fr. Ssekabira bail on condition that he pays a cash bond of 15 million Ugandan Shillings and a non-cash bond of 50 million Ugandan Shillings.

The sureties included the Masaka Diocese Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Jude Juuko Charles; the priest’s brother, Andrew Matovu; and Kalungu West Member of Parliament Joseph Ssewungu.

The court further ordered the priest to report to the registrar of the High Court every 28th day of the month. He is also required to deposit his passport, which his lawyers told the court had been taken by security operatives at the time of his arrest.

Reactions after the Ruling

Speaking to the press after the ruling, defense counsel Sam Ssekyewa welcomed the decision, emphasizing the presumption of innocence.

“We are delighted that the court has finally granted bail to Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira. There was no evidence today to kick start hearing of the matter which the state previously claimed they had. Court directed that let the accused person be on bail in the meantime, as we process the case itself,” Ssekyewa said.