Serious concerns have emerged in Uganda following the suspension of several human rights organisations, the arbitrary detention of a prominent human rights defender, and the announcement of a nationwide internet shutdown in the days leading up to the country’s general elections scheduled for 15 January 2026.
On 9 January 2026, the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO Bureau), under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, ordered the suspension of at least seven human rights organisations, including Chapter Four Uganda, the Alliance for Election Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), the Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-U), the National NGO Forum, the Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG), the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, and the African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV). The Bureau cited unspecified “intelligence information” and alleged violations of national security and Ugandan law under Section 42(d) of the NGO Act.
The suspension orders required the organisations to cease all operations immediately, pending investigations of unspecified duration. The directive also extended to financial operations, with banks instructed to freeze all transactions linked to the affected organisations, this resulted in offices’ closing, activities halted, and payments to staff and service providers suspended.
These measures were taken in a highly restrictive pre-election context marked by broader constraints on civic space. Observers note that the suspension of organisations engaged in human rights work, electoral observation, and legal advocacy raises significant concerns regarding freedom of association and the ability of civil society actors to independently monitor and assess the electoral process.
In parallel, human rights lawyer and Center for Constitutional Governance Executive Director Dr. Sarah Bireete was arrested during a raid on her home in Kampala on 30 December 2025. On 2 January 2026, she was charged with “unlawfully obtaining or disclosing personal data” related to alleged access to the national voters’ register and remanded to Luzira Prison. She was reportedly questioned about social media posts critical of the government and the electoral process. Her continued detention prevents her from participating in public debate at a critical moment, raising concerns among regional human rights mechanisms.
Further compounding these developments, the Uganda Communications Commission announced a nationwide internet shutdown starting on 13 January 2026 at 18:00 local time, restricting access to social media platforms, messaging services, and other online communication tools. Such shutdowns significantly limit access to information, restrict independent reporting, and impede the work of journalists, observers, and human rights defenders.
These events are unfolding against a backdrop of reported arrests of opposition supporters, assaults on journalists, and the detention of political figures. Taken together, the suspension of civil society organisations, the detention of a prominent human rights defender, and the restriction of digital communications raise serious concerns about the environment in which Uganda’s general elections are set to take place.
