The systematic erosion of fundamental ideals of dignity and freedom through state-sponsored violence, brutality, arbitrary arrests, and a declining state of rule of law is deeply worrying, Chapter Four Uganda said today.

As Uganda prepares for the 2026 General Elections, the past month has witnessed an alarming escalation in rights violations during political campaigns. Security forces have deployed excessive force, including tear gas, live bullets, pepper spray, and sniffer dogs against peaceful gatherings and unarmed civilians. 

Incidents in Lira, Mbarara, Kampala, Mukono, Iganga, Buikwe, and Gulu saw over 450 National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters arrested, with many more enduring brutal beatings. Some police officers have also sustained injuries in the unrest. 

On December 6, 2025, during NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi’s (Bobi Wine) campaign rally at Awere Grounds in Gulu City, police and UPDF soldiers indiscriminately attacked the party supporters and unarmed civilians. The security forces used canes, batons, and physical assaults to disperse crowds attempting to access the venue, despite an agreed campaign route. Some police officers attached to Bobi Wine’s protection detail sustained injuries. Bobi Wine’s aide, Dan Magic, sustained head injuries. 

Mesach Okello was shot dead on November 28, 2025, in Iganga district. The incident occurred shortly after a peaceful NUP rally led by Bobi Wine, when security forces allegedly opened fire on unarmed supporters returning home. Okello was shot in the head, and several others, including Nuwamanya Samuel, Naminya Banuli, and Faima Namusobya, sustained serious injuries.

On November 26, 2025, police and other security forces used tear gas and live bullets during Bobi Wine’s campaign in Buikwe district. Reports indicate that police fired tear gas and live rounds at multiple trading centers to disperse processions as Kyagulanyi moved through the Nile Trading Centre junction. During the unrest, the windows of an NTV news vehicle were shattered, and NTV Uganda reporter Patrick Ssenyondo sustained injuries. 

On November 25, 2025, Bobi Wine’s campaign in Greater Mukono faced electoral violence as he traveled from Kalagala in Mukono North to Kalagi. Police responded to the crowds gathered for the political rally by firing tear gas and live bullets. Several individuals, including members of Bobi Wine’s Campaign Media Team, were arbitrarily arrested and detained during the operation.

On November 24, 2025, police arbitrarily arrested and detained 92 supporters of the NUP in Kampala as Bobi Wine proceeded to Kawempe North for a presidential campaign event. Police claimed that NUP supporters had attacked officers with stones and damaged police vehicles, including an ambulance, thereby provoking the security forces. Videos widely circulated in the media show police deploying tear gas, whips, water cannons, pepper spray, and using dogs for crowd control. Many people were beaten and sustained injuries during the operation. 

On November 7, 2025, joint security forces arbitrarily arrested over 80 supporters of the NUP in Mbarara district as they traveled towards Bwizibwera for a planned presidential campaign event. The arrests were carried out with excessive force by law enforcement agencies. Some suspects, particularly women, were stripped naked during the arrests. Those detained were held at Mbarara Central Police Station, where they remained handcuffed for two days without access to their lawyers or relatives.

Subsequently, the detainees were transferred to various locations, including Kanyanya, Mubende, and Lira, where they were charged with a range of spurious offenses, including unlawful drilling, robbery, and malicious damage to property, driving without a license or helmet, and obstructing police.

On October 28, 2025, joint security forces raided Tembo Trek Courts Hotel in Lira City, where Bobi Wine and his campaign team were staying overnight. During the operation, police deployed pepper spray and other chemical agents, leading to many NUP supporters being hospitalized. Additionally, 10 NUP supporters and leaders were arrested during the raid. On October 30, 2025, the 10 individuals were charged with robbery and malicious damage to property at the Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lira and remanded.

There has been no accountability for these violations. This inaction breeds impunity for a culture of violence, abuse, and fear, and undermines core democratic pillars.

We call on the Government of Uganda and relevant authorities to:

• Immediately halt militarisation and the use of excessive force in policing political activities. All use of force by the police and other sister security forces should adhere to the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, the Police Act, and the 1995 Constitution.

• Unconditionally release all individuals who are currently being arbitrarily detained.

• Conduct independent investigations into all reported incidents of political and electoral violence and transparently hold perpetrators accountable. 

• The Uganda Police Force should prioritize de-escalation techniques, impartiality, and respect for constitutional rights in their operations. Engaging with political party leaders to ensure peaceful conduct and prevent provocations before they escalate is critical. 

We also urge political parties and their supporters to discourage any form of violence and to respect lawful instructions from security personnel. The right to peaceful political expression and assembly must be safeguarded as a cornerstone of free and fair elections.

Our collective goal must be to protect the democratic right of every Ugandan to participate freely and safely in the political process. The police, as custodians of public order, play a vital role within this framework and must act within the law and with the utmost professionalism.