Ugandan election: Security forces accused of torture

Amnesty International has accused Ugandan security forces of using torture and arbitrary arrests ahead of the January 15th presidential election, as reported by Africa News via AP on January 5th.

The human rights group has reportedly gathered evidence of security forces beating protestors and firing tear gas at supporters of Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP), the opposition to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), led by President Yoweri Museveni.

On November 28th, an NUP supporter was killed at a rally, with the victim’s family telling Amnesty that they were blocked from witnessing the post-mortem and were never given a death certificate.

Since early 2025, at least 550 people have been arrested and detained by security forces, with Amnesty reporting that detainees were subjected to being beaten, pepper-sprayed and tasered.

Although the government has denied silencing opposition voices, it has confirmed that broadcasting riots or unlawful processions is prohibited.

Wine’s party has received widespread support from Uganda’s working-class youth; the pop-star-turned-opposition-leader won 35% of the vote in the 2021 election, while Museveni won 58%.

However, Wine has maintained that Museveni’s 2021 victory was a result of fraud. Disillusionment with unemployment and governance failings has reinforced support for change among Uganda’s youth.

Museveni has held office since 1986, but was not officially elected until 1996. The 81-year-old is seeking to extend his 40-year rule by running for re-election, which he can do as many times as he likes, as lawmakers abolished constitutional age limits for presidential candidates in 2017.

Reportedly, Museveni’s grip on power has left parliament largely subservient to the presidency, with elections since 2001 being marred by allegations of rigging and military interference.

It was reported on December 8th that Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, and his supporters were beaten by security forces while campaigning in Gulu.

Another prominent opposition candidate, Kizza Besigye, went missing in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024 after he was detained by Ugandan authorities on charges of treason.

The 68-year-old is accused of carrying two pistols and solicitation of foreign military support to destabilise national security; if convicted of these crimes, a military court ruled in January 2025 that he could be sentenced to death.

During a December 30th court session, Uganda’s High Court denied bail to Besigye, which he argued constituted a “persecution, it is not a prosecution; it is like I am being tried by the prosecutors and the persecutors I have faced for 20 years now.”

He added, “I have been charged with treason. I don’t know how many times I have been charged with treason, treason that has never been tried. I am tired of this persecution.”

Africa News via AP, Maghrebi.org