The United Nations has sounded a stark warning to Uganda’s government, raising concerns about intensifying repression of opposition figures, activists, and the media just weeks ahead of the country’s general election. The alarm comes after the high-profile abduction and incommunicado detention of two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who were seized in Kampala in October and held for nearly 40 days. Their ordeal has cast a harsh spotlight on Uganda’s record of political freedoms and human rights, prompting international condemnation and calls for urgent reform.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk issued a statement on December 3, 2025, urging Ugandan authorities to launch a full and impartial investigation into a pattern of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, detentions, and reported torture. "I urge the Ugandan authorities to fully and impartially investigate all allegations of enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture or ill treatment, punish those accountable and provide full reparation to the victims. I also call on them to end this pattern of repression. All individuals arbitrarily deprived of liberty should be released," Türk declared, as reported by Nairobi Leo.
Türk’s appeal comes amid a mounting crackdown on opposition groups and the press, with evidence suggesting that at least 550 people—many linked to the National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda’s main opposition party—have been arrested since the start of the year. More than 300 of those arrests occurred after political campaigns began in September, according to UN findings. The UN chief expressed deep regret that "election campaigns have once again been marked by widespread arbitrary arrests, detentions and the use of unnecessary or disproportionate force against the opposition, as well as undue restriction of press freedom."
Security forces have visibly ramped up their presence at NUP rally locations across the country. In a particularly grim incident in Iganga in late November, officers reportedly fired live bullets into a crowd, killing one person and injuring at least three others. The UN has called for Ugandan authorities to "cease the use of such repressive tactics to enable Ugandans to fully and peacefully exercise their right to participate in their country’s public affairs on election day, and in its aftermath."
The saga of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo has become emblematic of the risks faced by activists in Uganda. The two Kenyans were abducted shortly after attending an opposition rally and held in what President Yoweri Museveni chillingly referred to as "the fridge." Museveni acknowledged in November that his government had detained the pair, despite previously telling a court otherwise. According to Nairobi Leo, the activists were eventually handed over to Kenyan authorities after more than a month in captivity.
Njagi, in an interview on November 12, described the harrowing conditions of his detention. "After abduction, we were driven to a military camp outside Kampala. It’s a camp used specifically to train the special forces command who are responsible for the security and safety of the first family. We were held in cells alongside other foreign nationals and Ugandan civilians," he recounted. Njagi claimed that the Ugandan authorities detained him and Oyoo based on faulty intelligence suggesting they were plotting to mobilize youth protests. Despite a prolonged investigation, neither was ever charged with a crime. "They went through our phones and they’ve had 38 days of doing investigations but they have not taken us to court to charge us with any crime. If we had been participating in any illegal activities, I am sure the Ugandan government would have charged us in court," Njagi said.
Njagi also made a startling allegation: that Ugandan soldiers, disguised as Kenyan police, were sent across the border to help suppress the recent Gen Z protests in Kenya. "One shocking revelation is that there were some soldiers who revealed to me that they participated in the Gen Z protest in Kenya. They were moved from Uganda as military dressed in Kenyan police uniform to come and quell the riots in Kenya. This is a collaboration between States that is why you are seeing what is happening in Kenya resonating in Uganda and Tanzania," he told Nairobi Leo.
Despite the trauma of his ordeal, Njagi compared his experience in Uganda favorably to his previous abduction in Kenya: "My abduction experience in Kenya was worse; it was nothing compared to what I went through even during these 38 days in Uganda. I’d rather in Uganda." Remarkably, he expressed a willingness to return to Uganda in the future, stating, "Given another opportunity to go to Uganda, I would like to go and visit Uganda for business purposes, for social purposes and even for political reasons if need be but within the Constitution of Uganda."
The UN’s criticism extended beyond the recent abductions. Türk cited a disturbing incident from May 2025, in which the head of Uganda’s military—President Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba—posted on social media that he was holding the bodyguard of opposition leader Bobi Wine in his "basement." The bodyguard later appeared in court, visibly shaking and showing signs of physical torture, yet the court reportedly ignored these signs. The UN chief condemned this as part of a wider pattern of state-sanctioned abuse and impunity, noting that dozens of other opposition supporters remain in detention for political activities dating back more than four years.
Türk’s statement also highlighted growing concerns over press freedom in Uganda. Journalists have faced mounting restrictions, with reports of harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary detention. The UN has called on the Ugandan government to uphold the right to freedom of expression and ensure that the media can operate without fear during the election period.
President Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, now faces unprecedented scrutiny from the international community. Critics argue that the government’s tactics—ranging from mass arrests and military crackdowns to the silencing of the press—are designed to stifle dissent and maintain a tight grip on power ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested election in January 2026. Supporters of the government, however, often frame these actions as necessary measures to maintain order and national security, especially in the face of what they describe as foreign interference and attempts to destabilize the country.
For many Ugandans, the stakes are high. The opposition, led by figures such as Bobi Wine and the NUP, continues to draw large crowds and vocal support, despite the risks. The international spotlight, sharpened by the UN’s intervention, may offer some protection for activists and journalists, but fears remain that the coming weeks could see further violence and repression.
As Uganda approaches its general election, the world is watching closely. The fate of those who dare to challenge the status quo—both within Uganda and beyond its borders—will serve as a telling barometer of the country’s commitment to democratic principles and human rights in the months and years ahead.