Human Rights Watch accuses Uganda military of arbitrary detentions and crackdown on critics
Human Rights Watch has accused the Ugandan military of arbitrarily detaining government critics and suppressing independent media. The report highlights specific cases of political intimidation and the use of security forces to silence dissent against President Museveni.
Why it matters
It highlights ongoing concerns regarding democratic backsliding and the erosion of human rights in East Africa.
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Kampala, Uganda | URN | Uganda’s military is arbitrarily arresting government critics, holding them incommunicado and using politically motivated prosecutions to silence dissent, according to a new report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The rights organization alleges that since mid-June 2026, security forces have unlawfully detained at least five critics of President Yoweri Museveni and the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
It also accuses the military of laying siege to the premises of the Nation Media Group, forcing the country’s largest independent media company to suspend operations following what HRW describes as critical reporting about the President. Carine Kaneza Nantulya, HRW’s Deputy Africa Director, said the government is increasingly deploying the military to suppress dissent instead of respecting constitutional rights.
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