The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Uganda’s military is arbitrarily arresting government critics, holding them incommunicado and using politically motivated prosecutions to silence dissent, according to a new report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The rights organization alleges that since mid-June 2026, security forces have unlawfully detained at least five critics of President Yoweri Museveni and the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
It also accuses the military of laying siege to the premises of the Nation Media Group, forcing the country’s largest independent media company to suspend operations following what HRW describes as critical reporting about the President. Carine Kaneza Nantulya, HRW’s Deputy Africa Director, said the government is increasingly deploying the military to suppress dissent instead of respecting constitutional rights.
“President Museveni’s government is increasingly using the military as a cudgel against dissent and criticism,” she said. “They should stop using security forces to take out critics and instead respect Uganda’s Constitution and Ugandans’ rights, security, and due process.” Among the cases highlighted is that of lawyer Erias Lukwago, who was reportedly seized by armed soldiers from his home in Kampala on June 15 and held incommunicado for two days before being handed over to police and charged with treason-related offences linked to the case of opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye. HRW says Lukwago had been preparing to serve legal summons on Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba in a civil suit when he was arrested.
The report also cites social media posts by Gen. Kainerugaba in which he appeared to acknowledge holding Lukwago, including sharing a photograph allegedly showing the lawyer blindfolded. Lukwago’s family alleges he was assaulted while in military custody. Human Rights Watch further raises concerns over the deportation of Kenyan lawyer and former Justice Minister Martha Karua, who was denied entry into Uganda on June 22 after travelling to observe Lukwago’s court proceedings.
The report also details the arrest of veteran activist Miria Matembe, who was allegedly detained for two days before being charged with promoting sectarianism, an offence HRW says has frequently been used against government critics. It links her arrest to comments she made during a YouTube interview criticizing the detention of Lukwago. Journalist Timothy Kalyegira is also named in the report. HRW says he was allegedly detained by soldiers before being charged with operating digital news platforms without a licence and later released on bail.
The organization further cites the arrest of National Unity Platform Deputy President for Buganda Muwanga Kivumbi, who it says was seized by armed personnel near Kampala while on bail over terrorism-related charges. Another case concerns opposition supporter Andrew Nabimanya, who alleges he was held for five days in an undisclosed military facility, stripped, photographed, had blood samples taken and was warned against publishing anti-government content before being charged with offences relating to disclosure of official information and personal data.
Beyond individual arrests, HRW says the government has intensified restrictions on civic space by surrounding the Nation Media Group’s premises since late June and by indefinitely suspending at least ten non-governmental organisations, including human rights, media and election-monitoring groups. The report also criticizes the recently enacted Protection of Sovereignty Act, arguing that it grants authorities broad powers to regulate foreign funding and could further restrict civil society activities.
HRW argues that Uganda’s Constitution and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces Act limit the circumstances under which the military can arrest civilians and that the recent arrests fall outside those provisions. It also says Uganda’s obligations under international human rights treaties prohibit arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and politically motivated prosecutions. The organization notes that it has documented similar abuses by Ugandan security agencies over many years and says there is no public evidence that officials responsible for past violations have been held accountable despite President Museveni’s 2022 pledge to address unlawful detentions.
Human Rights Watch has called on the Ugandan government to end what it describes as the crackdown on independent media, civil society organisations and political critics, and to investigate and prosecute those responsible for alleged human rights violations under existing Ugandan laws. Ugandan authorities have not yet responded to the latest Human Rights Watch.
