KAMPALA — A chilling wave of state-sponsored intimidation has gripped Uganda, as Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a scathing indictment of the military’s recent campaign to silence dissent. In a comprehensive report released this Thursday, the international rights watchdog detailed the systematic abduction, unlawful detention, and political persecution of lawyers, journalists, and high-profile opposition figures by the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF).
The revelations paint a grim picture of a nation where the line between military authority and civilian governance has been effectively erased. According to HRW, the government of President Yoweri Museveni, now in its fourth decade of rule, is utilizing the military to suppress legitimate criticism of both the President and his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who serves as the chief of the UPDF.
The Anatomy of State-Sanctioned Abduction
The mechanism of control identified by HRW is as efficient as it is terrifying. The process typically begins with armed military personnel raiding the homes or workplaces of government critics. Victims are then whisked away to “undisclosed locations”—extrajudicial detention centers that exist outside the purview of the civilian judiciary.
During this period of forced disappearance, detainees are held incommunicado. Following days of psychological and, in some cases, physical pressure, the individuals are "transferred" to the custody of the police. This tactical handoff is designed to provide a veneer of legality, allowing the state to move forward with politically motivated prosecutions in civilian courts.
“No military officer should be able to carry out serious violations with impunity,” said Carine Kaneza Nantulya, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Uganda’s partners should urgently press President Museveni’s government to end these abuses, uphold the rule of law, and ensure accountability for those responsible.”
Chronology of Recent Aggression (June–July 2026)
The current climate of fear intensified significantly in mid-June 2026, marking a concerted effort by the state to decapitate the legal and media support structures surrounding the political opposition.
- June 15, 2026: Erias Lukwago, a prominent lawyer representing opposition leader Kizza Besigye in treason proceedings, was abducted from his residence by armed soldiers. His whereabouts remained unknown for 48 hours before he surfaced in police custody, facing treason-related charges linked to the Besigye case.
- Late June 2026: Following the arrest of Lukwago, Kenyan attorney and former Justice Minister Martha Karua traveled to Kampala to observe the legal proceedings as lead counsel for Besigye. Her presence was short-lived; she was detained by security forces and subsequently deported to Kenya, an action widely interpreted as an attempt to prevent international legal scrutiny of Uganda’s judicial processes.
- Early July 2026: The crackdown expanded to include prominent figures across the civil society spectrum. Activist Miria Matembe, journalist Timothy Kalyegira, and National Unity Platform (NUP) deputy president Muwanga Kivumbi were among those swept up by security forces.
- Mid-July 2026: In an unprecedented strike against press freedom, the military surrounded the headquarters of the Nation Media Group, Uganda’s largest independent media organization. By occupying the premises, the military effectively forced the outlet’s television and newspaper divisions to cease operations, signaling a total intolerance for independent reporting.
Testimonies of Abuse and Coercion
The human cost of these operations is documented in harrowing accounts from those who have survived the initial wave of detentions. Released detainees have described a standardized regimen of humiliation and coercion.
Among the reported abuses are forced nudity, the coerced collection of DNA samples, and constant death threats designed to break the detainees’ resolve. Journalist Timothy Kalyegira, who was detained specifically for his investigative work on high-level government corruption, reported that his arrest was a direct retaliation for his use of digital platforms to expose illicit dealings among top officials.
The strategy appears to be twofold: to extract intelligence on opposition networks through intimidation, and to force individuals into silence by tarnishing their reputations or threatening their physical safety through the machinery of the state.
The Legislative Shield: The UPDF Amendment Act
The current crisis is not a spontaneous eruption of military overreach but the culmination of a deliberate legislative shift. In June 2025, President Museveni signed the UPDF Amendment Act into law, a piece of legislation that has drawn sharp condemnation from legal experts and human rights organizations.
The law ostensibly permits military courts to exercise jurisdiction over civilians in “specified circumstances.” In practice, this has provided the military with a legal loophole to bypass the constitutional safeguards that protect civilian citizens.
This act directly contradicts the landmark ruling in Attorney General v. Hon. Michael Kabaziguruka (2025), in which the Constitutional Court of Uganda affirmed that civilians cannot be subjected to military trials. By ignoring this precedent, the Museveni administration has effectively subverted the independence of the judiciary, replacing constitutional law with executive decree enforced by the barrel of a gun.
International Obligations and Constitutional Violations
The actions of the Ugandan state represent a profound departure from both its domestic and international legal obligations. HRW highlights that these detentions constitute a direct violation of the Ugandan Constitution, which guarantees the right to liberty and a fair trial.
Furthermore, Uganda remains a signatory to several international instruments that it now stands in breach of:
- The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: Which mandates the protection of individual integrity and the right to due process.
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): Which prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention.
- The Convention Against Torture: Which explicitly forbids the use of humiliation and physical pressure against detainees.
By disregarding these treaties, the Ugandan government risks further isolation from the international community and potential sanctions from regional bodies and Western donors.
Implications for the Future of Ugandan Democracy
The implications of these events are profound. The systematic targeting of the legal profession (Lukwago), the political opposition (Kivumbi), and the media (Nation Media Group) suggests a move toward a total consolidation of power.
If the state continues to use the military to police political dissent, the prospect of free and fair elections in Uganda becomes increasingly remote. The chilling effect on the media means that corruption—often the spark for public unrest—will go unreported, allowing the cycle of graft and impunity to accelerate.
As the international community watches, the primary question remains whether Uganda’s development partners will continue to provide support to a regime that systematically dismantles the rule of law. The demand from groups like Human Rights Watch is clear: accountability is not a luxury, but a prerequisite for stability. Without a robust response from the international community and a return to constitutional governance, the current crackdown may mark the end of the democratic project in Uganda, leaving a nation held together not by consensus, but by the threat of military force.
