Rev Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira, a curate attached to Bumangi Catholic Parish in Masaka Diocese, has been charged with money laundering and remanded to prison, days after he disappeared after being abducted by UPDF soldiers early this month.
Fr Ssekabira appeared before Masaka Grade One Magistrate Abdallah Kayiza, who read to him charges of money laundering and told him that the case is only triable by the High Court. He is charged with money laundering contrary to section 3 (b) 119 and 139 and 139 (1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Cap 118.
Mr Kayiza further told the court that the case would be taken to the Anti-Corruption Court since it’s the one responsible for trying such offences.
Fr Ssekabira, who was represented by Masaka Diocesan legal officer Alexander Lule and his personal lawyer Patricia Abaho, said he had understood the charge, although he was not allowed to say anything given the gravity of the offence.
Mr Kayiza, however, adjourned the proceedings until January 21, 2026, remanding the priest to Masaka Main Prison.
According to records before the court, Fr Ssekabira,47, and others still at large between 2023 and 2025 at Centenary Bank-Masaka Branch in Masaka District, internationally concealed or disguised the true ownership of Shs500 million, knowing or suspecting such property to be the proceeds of crime. Moments after the court session, Mr Lule told journalists that they had planned to file an application seeking bail for the priest.
“We would wish to have the festivities with the priest, but incidentally, we are remaining with today and tomorrow, but we shall do our best to ensure that we don’t get to the set date of January 21 to have the matter back in court.” He added.
Lule said his client was psychologically tortured by the security agencies that were holding him for 21 days.
“I have had a chance to speak to him [Fr Ssekabira], but he is all frightened and shaking. He is sick, and we have asked the court to order the prison authorities to offer him better treatment. We shall be following up to see how he is progressing given that he has been held incommunicado for three weeks,’ he said. According to Lule, the priest ‘has also revealed to me that he has been held in a dark room since he was abducted, and someone entered and spoke to him three times during that period.”
Rev. Fr. Ssekabira was abducted on December 3, 2025 by UPDF soldiers at one of his offices in Katwe, Masaka City suburb.
He serves as the director of Universal Chastity Education Organisation, which provides counselling services and charity support to HIV-affected needy children, and also the director of Uplift Primary School, both in Masaka. Although UPDF, on December 14, came out and confirmed that he was in their custody, 10 days after concealing details about the abduction, the priest’s fate remained unknown.
In a statement, the UPDF earlier said Fr Ssekabira was detained over his involvement in ‘violent subversive activities’ against the state. The military added that the priest would be produced before a court of law and charged accordingly.
Fr Ssekabira’s court appearance came amid growing concern as to why he had been detained beyond the constitutionally required time of 48 hours without appearing in court.
Many of his followers in Masaka still question the manner of his arrest and the circumstances under which he was detained incommunicado for almost a month.