Uganda’s electoral commission has officially declared President Yoweri Museveni the winner of the January 15 elections, securing his seventh term in office with 71 percent of the vote.
The lead-up to the elections was marked by widespread human rights abuses. Security forces reportedly beat and arrested hundreds of people at opposition rallies, used teargas indiscriminately, and physically assaulted journalists covering the events. On November 28, 2025, Mesach Okello, an opposition supporter in Iganga, Eastern Uganda, was shot and killed by police, who claimed they were responding to “stone throwing” and “hooliganism.” On December 8, opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, said soldiers attacked him and his supporters with sticks during a rally in Gulu.
Repression intensified in the final weeks before the vote. On December 30, prominent human rights activist Sarah Bireete was arrested, and on January 12, the government ordered at least 10 nongovernmental organizations to halt operations indefinitely on vague grounds. Two days before the election, a blanket internet shutdown restricted access to critical information, and even after partial restoration, messaging and social media apps like WhatsApp and X remained limited.
After the election, Kyagulanyi reported that security forces surrounded his home near Kampala, cut electricity and CCTV, and blocked movement in and out of the premises. He managed to escape and is currently in hiding, while two senior members of his party, the National Unity Platform, were reportedly abducted and remain missing.
Uganda is obligated to uphold the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and access to information for all citizens, regardless of political affiliation. The international community is urged to pressure Museveni’s government to end these human rights violations, investigate abuses linked to the elections, and hold those responsible accountable.
