Repression and Fear Shadow Uganda’s Upcoming Elections
UN Cites Crackdown on Opposition Before Uganda Vote
Geneva: The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Uganda are set to unfold in an atmosphere of widespread repression, intimidation and entrenched impunity, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned today, raising serious concerns over citizens’ ability to participate freely and safely in public affairs.
Speaking on behalf of the UN human rights office, spokesperson Marta Hurtado said a report published by OHCHR found that the authorities had systematically targeted political opposition figures, journalists, human rights defenders and individuals holding dissenting views in the lead-up to the January 15 polls. “Next week’s elections in Uganda will take place in an environment marked by widespread repression and intimidation against the political opposition, human rights defenders, journalists and those with dissenting views,” Hurtado said.
According to the report, a series of laws enacted or amended since the last elections in 2021 have been used to restrict fundamental freedoms, including the rights to expression, association and peaceful assembly. The legislation cited includes the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act of 2022, the Non-Governmental Organisations (Amendment) Act of 2024 and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (Amendment) Act of 2025, which the report says have been deployed to silence those with dissenting views and entrench impunity.
Uganda’s previous general elections, held in January 2021, were themselves widely criticised by domestic and international observers. President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner of a sixth term following a campaign period marked by heavy security deployments, the arrest and harassment of opposition supporters, and a nationwide internet shutdown imposed on the eve of polling. The main opposition challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, rejected the results, citing voter intimidation, restrictions on campaigning, interference with polling and counting processes, and the use of excessive force by security agencies. Dozens of people were reported killed during unrest linked to the campaign period, and observers raised concerns over media restrictions, arbitrary detentions and a lack of accountability for abuses. The OHCHR report notes that many violations linked to the 2021 elections remain unresolved.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called on the Ugandan authorities to uphold their obligations under international law and ensure that all citizens are able to take part in the country’s public affairs “fully and safely.” Hurtado said Türk urged the authorities to ensure that “no unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal force, is used to disperse peaceful protests, on election day and beyond.”
The report details a pattern of arrests and detentions of opposition leaders and activists, raids on the premises of political opposition parties and the confiscation of their property. It also highlights the suspension of radio stations, the arrest of bloggers and the tightening of control over non-governmental organisations, developments that have further narrowed civic space ahead of the vote.
Restrictions on opposition activity have particularly targeted the National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda’s main opposition party. According to the report, NUP has faced repeated roadblocks, raids, seizure or blocking of access to its offices and the forced dispersal of its meetings and gatherings.
Hurtado highlighted the continued detention of leading opposition figure Kizza Besigye, who has been held on what the report describes as questionable treason charges since he was abducted in neighbouring Kenya in November 2024. Besigye and his associate Obeid Lutale have repeatedly been denied bail on unclear grounds. She added that the recent arrest of prominent human rights defender Sarah Bireete, along with a government directive imposing a blanket ban on live broadcasting of what authorities describe as riots and unlawful processions, marked the latest in a series of concerning developments.
The report further raises alarm over the conduct of security forces, including the police, the military and the Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force. According to OHCHR, these forces have unlawfully used firearms and live ammunition to disperse peaceful assemblies and to carry out arbitrary arrests and prolonged pre-trial detentions, particularly targeting opposition members and supporters. Hurtado said opposition figures have frequently been abducted in unmarked vans, commonly known as “drones,” and held incommunicado at unauthorised detention facilities referred to as “safe houses.”
“All those responsible for election-related human rights violations, including unresolved violations from the 2021 elections, must be held to account,” Hurtado said, calling for effective, thorough and impartial investigations followed by fair judicial proceedings.
– global bihari bureau
