The United Nations has called on Uganda to safeguard democratic spaces and ensure all voices, including those of the Opposition, are freely heard, just one month to the 2026 General Election.
Speaking at the commemoration of International Human Rights Day in Kampala yesterday, Mr Leonard Zulu, the UN Resident Coordinator, urged Uganda to embrace tolerance, inclusion, and respect for divergent opinions, especially at a time when political actors are feeling the heat on the campaign trail.
‘It is essential that every person in Uganda, including women, girls, older persons, people with disabilities, refugees, and all those at risk of being left behind, can exercise their rights without barriers, stigma or discrimination,’ he said.
Mr Zulu said it is not productive in a democratic society to bottle up people’s emotions and prayed for a peaceful election next January. ‘Human rights are not self-executing; they require vigilance, active participation, and unwavering commitment. The voices of women, persons with disabilities, youth, and marginalised groups must be heard and respected; we must protect the rights of everyone, everywhere in Uganda. I wish the country a peaceful, violence-free electoral period.’
His remarks come hot on the heels of running battles between National Unity Platform (NUP) party presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, and security agencies that have had no beds of roses since last month. Recent events in Mbarara and Kiruhura districts; Kawempe in Kampala, and Gulu City saw uniformed and plain-clothed men brutalising members of NUP. There have also been rocky incidents of diversion, tear-gassing, arrests, and reported injuries among party supporters.
Mr Zulu also conveyed a message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who reminded states that civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights are ‘inalienable, indivisible and interdependent,’ stressing that societies must protect the most vulnerable if human rights are to flourish. Quoting Nelson Mandela, the resident coordinator said: ‘To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.’ Uganda marked the day under the theme: ‘Strengthening democratic space: Upholding freedom of expression, speech, association, media and security of person.’
The UN said the theme is both timely and crucial for maintaining public confidence in the electoral process because trust, once broken, is hard to mend, and you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Mr Zulu said Uganda is a signatory to major international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He further said the country has strong constitutional bodies; the Judiciary, Parliament, the Human Rights Commission, the Inspectorate of Government, and civil society, which together form a framework for accountability, reminding citizens that the wheels of justice may turn slowly, but they do turn.
The UN urged Ugandans to remain vigilant and actively protect the rights of all citizens during the election period, saying human rights ‘begin in small places, close to home,’ and must be upheld everywhere because charity begins at home. Representing the Opposition at the event, Mr George Musisi, a member of NUP, said freedoms of expression, association, and assembly have deteriorated during the ongoing campaigns, warning that the period is turning ‘for the worse’ instead of showcasing the vibrancy expected of campaign season.
‘We have had more than 60 days of presidential campaigning and nearly 50 days of parliamentary campaigns. At the beginning, people kept saying the campaign was peaceful. Yes, it was largely peaceful, but it was never seamless. There were always frictions and blockages,’ Mr Musisi said the honeymoon period was short-lived. He revealed that more than 400 of their supporters had been arraigned in court on one charge or another.
‘Police claim these people threw stones or assaulted officers, yet out of those 400, fewer than 30 have been charged with assault and less than 30 with stone throwing,’ he said, adding that the numbers don’t add up.
‘In Pader, when 89 people were arrested, the charges in court were completely different from what the police had said. Recently, when more than 80 people were arrested, police again issued statements alleging assault and stone throwing, yet the charges were different,’ Mr Musisi explained, saying the authorities were trying to move the goalposts.