Is Uganda Returning to its ‘Dark Days’?
Reports of abductions and the alleged torture of political opponents have raised concerns about a return to the “dark days” of Uganda’s former dictator, Idi Amin, according to The Independent. The newspaper cited the recent abduction of Erias Lukwago – the former Kampala mayor and lawyer for imprisoned opposition politician Kizza Besigye – as the latest case fueling public anxiety.
Lukwago, who also leads the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), was seized by soldiers from his home on the outskirts of Kampala. The abduction occurred on the morning he was set to serve a summons to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni. Besigye had previously filed a lawsuit against Muhoozi over alleged unlawful detention and public threats to his life.
Ugandans have expressed widespread outrage and condemnation over Lukwago’s abduction and the country’s deteriorating human rights situation. According to The Independent, Ugandan prisons and military detention facilities are “believed to hold thousands of political prisoners, some detained as far back as 2019, when the People Power Movement emerged as a formidable force in opposition politics.”
Soldiers took charge of affairs in most parts of the capital Kampala on Tuesday
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![Veteran opposition politician Kizza Besigye and his aide Obeid Lutale declined to take plea after the High Court ordered an immediate plea-taking session.]()
Veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obeid Lutale, have filed a fresh application before the High Court seeking declarations against the government and senior military officials over alleged grave human rights violations linked to their arrest, detention, and prosecution.
They name the
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Prominent rights activist Sarah Bireete, who was detained on December 30 after questioning the accuracy of the voter register ahead of the January 15 general election, has been granted bail.
Bireete, head of the Centre for Constitutional Governance, faced charges related to the alleged unlawful disclosure of voters’ information. Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko released her after she met the requirements for
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![A street market in Kampala (file photo).]()
Human Rights Watch has urged Ugandan authorities to immediately restore internet access and refrain from imposing blanket shutdowns that “undermine fundamental rights and threaten election integrity.” In a statement, the rights group said the current restrictions follow a “troubling pattern” of shutdowns during the 2016 and 2021 elections, which restricted access to information and damaged public confidence in the electoral process.
Uganda’s Security Commission
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