Human Rights Watch Alleges Post-Election Crackdown on Uganda’s Opposition

Human Rights Watch has accused Ugandan authorities of escalating attacks against the country’s main opposition party following the January 15, 2026 presidential elections.

In a statement released on January 29, the rights group said security forces had carried out mass arrests of supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and forcibly disappeared two of its senior leaders. The organization called on the government to end harassment of political opponents and hold those responsible for alleged abuses to account.

The allegations come after the Electoral Commission declared President Yoweri Museveni winner of a seventh term. His closest challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi — widely known as Bobi Wine — has reportedly faced continued security pressure since the vote.

According to Human Rights Watch, the military has surrounded Kyagulanyi’s home since election day, restricting access and allegedly assaulting his wife and staff while damaging property. On January 16, Kyagulanyi posted online that he had escaped his home after soldiers raided the compound and disabled electricity and CCTV systems. He has since gone into hiding.

Just days later, on January 23, Kyagulanyi reported another raid on his residence in his absence. His wife, Barbara Kyagulanyi, recorded video footage showing armed uniformed men entering their property. She later told media outlets that the men assaulted her and demanded access to her phone, which she refused.

The head of the Ugandan military, Muhoozi Kainerugaba — who is also President Museveni’s son — made controversial remarks on social media in the days following the election. In posts on X, he claimed that 22 NUP “terrorists” had been killed and suggested Kyagulanyi could be next, though he denied that soldiers assaulted Kyagulanyi’s wife.

Alleged Enforced Disappearances

Human Rights Watch also highlighted what it described as two enforced disappearances involving senior NUP officials.

On the night of January 14, soldiers allegedly detained Jolly Jackline Tukamushaba, the party’s deputy president for Western Uganda, from a hotel in Muhanga. Tukamushaba, who was contesting a parliamentary seat, was reportedly taken away in an unmarked white van — locally referred to as a “Drone.” Her daughter told Human Rights Watch that armed men raided the hotel room, held those present at gunpoint, confiscated election materials and money, and drove her mother away. Her whereabouts remain unknown.

In a separate incident, Lina Zedriga Waru, the party’s deputy president for Northern Uganda, was allegedly taken from her home on January 15 by armed men believed to be soldiers. Her son later petitioned the High Court in Kampala, but during a January 23 hearing the military denied holding her. The case was adjourned pending a police response.

Human Rights Watch said such cases meet the definition of enforced disappearance under international law, which strictly prohibits the practice and obligates governments to investigate and prosecute those responsible.

Wider Concerns Over Election Conduct

The rights group said the 2026 elections were marred by widespread abuses, including arrests and beatings at opposition rallies, the detention of journalists and activists, and the suspension of at least 10 nongovernmental organizations. Authorities also ordered a nationwide internet shutdown two days before the vote.

Media reports indicate that at least 118 NUP supporters were charged in court on January 19 with election-related offences, including unlawful assembly and conspiracy.

Human Rights Watch noted that Uganda has previously faced criticism for similar post-election crackdowns, particularly after the 2021 polls. In 2022, President Museveni pledged to ensure accountability within security forces for unlawful detention and torture, though the group said there is no public record of prosecutions tied to those commitments.

Ugandan law — including the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act of 2012 and the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act of 2019 — criminalizes torture and provides for personal liability of public officers who violate rights.

“Ongoing repression against opposition figures is deeply concerning,” said Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch, urging Uganda’s international partners to press the government publicly and privately to halt the crackdown and ensure accountability.