KAMPALA, Uganda — A leading Ugandan election watchdog on Wednesday condemned the arrest of its executive director, warning of a widening crackdown on civil society as the country heads into general elections in just two weeks.
Uganda is set to vote on January 15, with President Yoweri Museveni, 81, seeking to extend his four-decade rule. The arrest of prominent lawyer and governance advocate Sarah Bireete has intensified concerns over shrinking democratic space and the safety of election observers, journalists, and opposition voices.
Bireete, the executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG) and chairperson of the East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network, was detained on Tuesday after security forces surrounded her home.
“My house is under siege by Police and Army,” Bireete posted on X shortly before she was taken into custody.
Police later confirmed her arrest on social media but did not immediately disclose the reasons. CCG said Bireete had not been charged with any offence by Wednesday, raising fears of arbitrary detention.
“We believe this arrest is a deliberate attempt to stifle one of the most prominent voices calling for government accountability,” the organisation said in a statement. “It sends a chilling message to civil society actors involved in election monitoring and civic education.”
Bireete has been a vocal critic of what she describes as growing authoritarianism in Uganda, frequently raising concerns about the independence of electoral institutions, the conduct of security agencies and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
Opposition figures quickly condemned the arrest, linking it to a broader pattern of repression during election periods. Leading opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, said rights defenders and journalists are routinely targeted whenever Ugandans prepare to vote.
“Every election cycle, the regime targets civil society leaders, journalists, and human rights activists with arrests, abductions, torture,” Bobi Wine said in a post on X.
Human rights groups say the arrest comes amid heightened security operations across the country, with opposition rallies restricted and activists reporting increased surveillance and intimidation.
Concerns are also mounting over digital freedoms ahead of the vote. There are growing fears the government may shut down the internet or restrict access to social media platforms during the election, as it did during the 2021 polls.
Last week, authorities banned the importation of Starlink satellite internet equipment and similar devices, a move critics say is aimed at limiting alternative communication channels.
The Ugandan government has previously defended such measures as necessary to maintain public order and national security during elections.
The developments in Uganda mirror a wider regional trend of democratic backsliding, according to rights groups. In neighbouring Tanzania, security forces reportedly killed thousands during and after elections held in October, in which all major opposition candidates were disqualified, further alarming observers across East Africa.
As Uganda enters the final stretch before polling day, civil society organisations are calling for Bireete’s immediate release and urging authorities to guarantee the safety of election observers and uphold constitutional freedoms.
Analysts warn that continued arrests and restrictions could undermine the credibility of the January 15 vote and deepen political tensions in a country already sharply divided over its long-serving leadership.
