Uganda is experiencing a dangerous intensification of state repression against human rights defenders, students, and environmental activists, signaling a troubling crackdown on civic space in the lead-up to the country’s 2026 general elections. Recent reports from international watchdogs such as the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OMCT-FIDH) paint a disturbing picture of arbitrary arrests, judicial harassment, torture, and an increasingly hostile environment for dissenting voices.
The last court hearing in the case against Ssuuna James was on May 19, 2025, at the Chief Magistrates’ Court of Kampala. In this occasion he appeared before Buganda Road court Grade One Magistrate Alex Niyonzima. The government prosecutor presented a police witness, Nduhura Samson, who had commanded the brutal arrest. He testified before the court that Ssuna had disturbed the public peace by shouting #FreeOurConstitution and “Stop Molesting Our Constitution.” He stated that he had been deployed in anticipation of a riot at the Supreme Court. The court adjourned the hearing until 23rd June, when the government is expected to present a second witness out of the three scheduled to testify against him.Ssuuna, a cyberactivist and Executive Director of Freedom Hive Uganda—an organization dedicated to social justice, gender equality, and the rights of marginalized groups—faces charges of “common nuisance” under Section 148(1) of Uganda’s Penal Code. The charges stem from his participation in a peaceful protest held on February 10, 2025, at Constitutional Square in Kampala. During the protest, Ssuuna was violently arrested by uniformed and plain-clothed police officers, who dragged him to the ground and forcefully detained him. The incident resulted in serious physical injuries, including lasting trauma to his genital area. Since then, the case has faced multiple delays due to the prosecution’s repeated failure to present witnesses. In addition to judicial harassment, Ssuuna has been subjected to online threats, including one received on May 4, 2025, referencing past torture cases of government critics. This highlights growing concerns over the intimidation and repression of human rights defenders in Uganda.
We report the ongoing arbitrary detention of 11 Ugandan environmental defenders—now known as the #KCB11—who remain imprisoned after peacefully opposing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). Part of the global StopEACOP campaign, they were arrested on April 23, 2025, while attempting to deliver a letter to Kenyan Commercial Bank (KCB) in Kampala, criticizing its funding of the project. Instead of being heard, they were lured into a basement and arrested, later charged with criminal trespass. Despite the minor nature of the charge, they’ve been denied bail three times and have now spent over 50 days in Luzira Maximum Security Prison. Their court hearing has been postponed for the fourth time, now rescheduled for June 26, 2025.
On April 23, 2025, student leaders at Kyambogo University in Kampala held a general assembly to raise concerns about late registration fees, missing grades, delayed results, and exam access for students who had paid at least 70% of their tuition. The meeting was violently disrupted by police, who stormed the gathering and fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the students. Twenty students were brutally arrested by armed police forces. During their transfer to Jinja Road Police Station, some were reportedly tortured, including being kicked and forced under police trucks.
On April 24, ten of the arrested students were released, while the remaining ten, including student leader Akiso Benjamin, remained in custody. On April 25, 2025, the ten Kyambogo University students still in custody were brought before a Grade One Magistrate in Nakawa, Kampala, and charged with “unlawful assembly” and “participation in a riot.” They were then remanded to Luzira Maximum Security Prison. On April 29, these ten students—along with seven others—were suspended for 30 days for allegedly disrupting university activities. The suspension barred them from campus and was issued without a fair hearing before the University Council’s Welfare and Student Affairs Committee. The last update is that they appeared before the disciplinary committee on 4th & 5th June 2025 but until now they haven’t received the results from the hearing, yet University had promised to deliver the ruling after a week, but they are again forced to wait. As a consequence of all these procedures they could not attend their exams.
As Uganda approaches its 2026 elections, the international community must closely monitor these developments and push for accountability. Without strong external pressure and internal reform, the country risks further erosion of democratic norms and a deepening human rights crisis.
Uganda ranks 143 out to 180 in RSF 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
