Uganda polls unsafe and unfair, lobby says

Supporters of Uganda opposition leader and presidential candidate Bobi Wine, shelter from heavy rain under electoral banners during the party’s final campaign rally ahead of the 2026 general elections, in Kampala on January 12, 2026. [AFP]

A lobby group has warned that Uganda’s upcoming presidential election on January 15 is being held in an unsafe, unfair environment, alleging the Electoral Commission favours the ruling National Resistance Movement.

Africa for Africa (AFA) said the commission released the official voter register just 14 days before polling day, leaving little time for citizens to check their registration, undermining confidence in the process.

“The electoral commission has repeatedly denied opposition candidates and stopped them from participating in the general elections. This weakens the opposition and denies citizens the chance to choose their representatives,” said AFA in a statement on January 15.

The United Nations Human Rights Office said the vote is unfolding amid widespread repression, with security forces using live ammunition to break up peaceful protests, abductions of critics, and arbitrary detentions of opposition figures and activists.

Opposition veteran Kizza Besigye has been jailed since November 2024 on treason and related charges, with civic activist Sarah Bireete detained in December 2025 on allegations of unlawful access to voters’ data.

President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has led Uganda since 1986 and removed age and term limits from the constitution, seeks a seventh term in office.

His main challenger is singer‑turned‑politician Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known as Bobi Wine, 43, leader of the National Unity Platform, who has faced beatings, arrests, and teargas during his campaign.

Other presidential candidates include Mugisha Muntu, Nandala Mafabi, and others.

Authorities have banned live broadcasts of riots and “unlawful processions,” detained supporters of the National Unity Platform and restricted accreditation for election observers and journalists, fuelling fears of a controlled political environment.

AFA criticised the government’s actions and the involvement of the military and police in the election period.

“The military and police are interfering with the electoral process and suppressing opposition voices,” said AFA, adding, “Security agents should protect citizens, not act as partisan actors.”

“The world must demand nothing less than transparency where the sovereign will of the people prevails,” the lobby group added.