Ugandan security forces have detained a well-known human rights lawyer and outspoken government critic, raising fresh concerns about civil liberties as the country approaches its general election scheduled for January 15.
Sarah Bireete, a lawyer and executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), was taken into police custody.
She is widely known for her commentary on governance and human rights issues on Ugandan television and radio.
Police confirmed her detention in a statement posted on social media platform X, saying she would be produced in court “in due course,” but did not disclose specific charges or a timeline.
Bireete has frequently criticized the government over alleged illegal arrests, prolonged detentions, and claims of torture involving opposition supporters.
Attempts to obtain an immediate response from the CCG were unsuccessful.
Uganda is heading into a closely watched election that will see President Yoweri Museveni, 81, seek to extend his nearly four-decade rule, which began in 1986.
His main challenger is Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old musician-turned-politician and leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Opposition Concerns
• Bobi Wine and the NUP allege that hundreds of their supporters have been arrested during the year, particularly during campaign activities, which they say is intended to intimidate voters and weaken the opposition.
• The opposition has also accused security forces of using excessive force, including an incident in which Wine says he was assaulted while campaigning in northern Uganda. Police promised an investigation, but no findings have been publicly released.
International Reaction
• In a statement last month, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned of what he called an “intensifying crackdown” on political opposition in Uganda.
• According to the UN, at least 550 NUP supporters have been detained so far this year.
Another veteran opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, remains incarcerated more than a year after his arrest on treason-related charges, underscoring long-standing concerns by rights groups about political freedoms in the country.
Rights organizations and international observers say the detention of activists and opposition figures risks undermining the credibility of the upcoming election and further shrinking civic space in Uganda, where authorities insist arrests are carried out in accordance with the law.
Source: Africa Publicity
