Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed concern on Thursday over the arrest of Sarah Bireete, a prominent government critic, ahead of Uganda’s upcoming elections. Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, HRW’s Africa deputy director, condemned the arrest, calling it a clear example of the Ugandan government’s continued intolerance towards dissent. “Sarah Bireete’s arrest is a demonstration of the Uganda government’s continuing intolerance of dissent. The Ugandan authorities should release Bireete, drop all charges against her, and respect the rights to freedom of expression and political participation,” Budoo-Scholtz stated.
Bireete, the executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance and a vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s administration, was detained by security forces at her home and charged with “unlawfully obtaining or disclosing personal data.” Budoo-Scholtz further highlighted that Bireete was detained beyond the maximum lawful 48-hour period, and although a bail hearing has been scheduled for after the election, the timing raises concerns about the political nature of the arrest.
This arrest comes in the context of growing legal and institutional constraints that rights advocates argue undermine free and fair elections in Uganda. Uganda’s electoral history, which has seen President Museveni secure seven consecutive victories, has often been criticized for a lack of competitiveness and institutional independence. The UN has documented a range of legislative measures that have curbed freedoms of expression, assembly, and political participation, leading to arbitrary arrests and prolonged detention.
The upcoming January elections have been widely described as “senseless” by the Council on Foreign Relations, which notes that they serve more to reinforce the incumbent’s power than to provide genuine accountability. Authorities have responded to opposition rallies with force, imposed media restrictions, and detained key political figures. Human rights observers have also reported increasing repression against opposition parties and civil society organizations, including security crackdowns on political rallies, media censorship, and judicial harassment of critics.
In the 2021 elections, Uganda’s government imposed a nationwide internet shutdown lasting five days. Reports suggest that similar internet restrictions are being considered in the lead-up to the current elections, raising concerns about transparency and access to information. Rights groups have emphasized that Bireete’s arrest is part of a larger pattern of government behavior that severely undermines both the legitimacy of the electoral process and the rule of law in the country.
