A human rights crisis in Uganda… from repression of opponents to targeting of lawyers news

Uganda is witnessing an escalation in human rights concern against the backdrop of what the Kampala-based newspaper The Independent described as the security services continuing to kidnap and torture opponents. The newspaper pointed out that the kidnapping of the former mayor of Kampala and lawyer Erias Lukwago, a defender of the detained opposition figure Kizza Besigye, represented a new episode in this path, and brought to mind the “dark days” during the era of former President Idi Amin, amid fears of a decline in the rule of law.

The newspaper reported that Lukwago, head of the Popular Front for Freedom party, was kidnapped on the morning of June 15 from his home on the outskirts of the capital by members of the special forces, while he was preparing to deliver a judicial summons to General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, commander of the defense forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni. She added that the operation, which was allegedly carried out under Muhoozi’s direct orders, ended with Lukwago being taken away in a military truck.

Lukwago later appeared in court on charges of “failure to report treason” and was imprisoned in Luzira but denied bail. His wife reported that he was beaten and insulted, and was taken to a facility in Entebbe, where Muhoozi posted a photo of himself after shaving his head. He was not brought to court until more than 48 hours after his arrest. His lawyers informed the court that he suffers from multiple health problems, including high blood pressure and a spinal injury.

Targeting lawyers

In a related context, the Nile Post website reported that Besigye’s defense team condemned the detention and deportation of Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua, considering this a targeting of lawyers in sensitive political cases. The team explained that Karwa was arrested at Entebbe International Airport upon her arrival to attend sessions related to Lukwago and support Besigye’s defense, without allowing her to communicate with her team or her family. The team described this measure as an attack on the course of justice, and called on bar associations and international human rights bodies to intervene.

The Independent also noted that Besigye filed a case against Muhoozi on June 8 over illegal detention and public threats to his life, including a threat to hang him. The Supreme Court judge gave the general seven days to respond, while the state denied the accusations, describing them as “false and speculative.”

The newspaper indicated that Besigye, 70 years old and a four-time former presidential candidate, has been detained since November 2024 after his kidnapping in Nairobi in an operation believed to be joint between Ugandan and Kenyan security services, and that his health deteriorated significantly during the period of his detention.

Wider pattern

The newspaper quoted observers that Ugandan prisons and military facilities contain thousands of political prisoners, some of them since 2019. It noted that opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) left for the United States after the army besieged his house following the elections that took place at the beginning of this year, and that his wife, Barbie, spoke about being subjected to torture. She also recalled the case of Bobi Wine’s bodyguard, Eddie Mutwi, who was kidnapped last May on Muhoozi’s orders and is still being held.

The newspaper linked these developments to the era of Idi Amin, who ruled Uganda for eight years before his overthrow in 1979, stressing that many Ugandans fear the country’s return to the “dark days” of military rule. She also noted that the Ugandan Constitution prohibits members of the armed forces from engaging in partisan politics or making political statements.