The Uganda Human Rights Commission has urged politicians to desist from recruiting youth brigades. The Commission’s Chairperson, Mariam Wangadya, said the youth brigades could threaten the ongoing electoral process and could plunge the country into anarchy. She told a joint media briefing in Kampala that the youth brigades have started clashing with rival groups. “We have noted the rise of youth groups acting as vigilantes and political foot soldiers, particularly in the central region. These groups are unlawful, dangerous, and incompatible with a democratic process. Election security remains the constitutional mandate of the Uganda Police Force alone, and we urge that these formations be disbanded immediately wherever they exist,” said Wangadya.
UHRC, Uganda Police Force (UPF), the Electoral Commission (EC), Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), and Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU). Wangadya also expressed concern over the worrying expressions of identity-based politics, mostly in sub-regions of Bunyoro and Kigezi.
“In Bunyoro, for instance, the Abafuruki narrative is resurfacing, and in Kigezi, religious-based mobilisation between Catholics and Protestants has re-emerged in some areas. Identity politics corrodes the foundations of equality and non-discrimination and threatens to divide communities that have lived together for generations. Elections must never become platforms that inflame tribal or religious sentiment,” Wangadya said.
Charity Kalebbo Ahaimbisibwe, the Executive Director Electoral Laws Institute Uganda, condemned the Commission for not demanding explanations from UPF on how a supporter at Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine’s rally shot to death by police in Iganga district last week. Ahimbisibwe said UHRC must at all times demand protection of underdogs in every electoral process because if they are not protected, no one will demand their safety.
UHRC also called upon the State to ensure that every eligible Ugandan can register and vote without hindrance, including persons with disabilities and those from vulnerable and marginalised communities. Wangadya said that, just as children do not vote, they must be protected from the indirect harms of electoral tension and disorder.
Wangadya also condemned the media, claiming they are biasedly reporting many of the confrontations between security forces and supporters of the politicians. According to Wangadya, the biased reporting is mostly being witnessed in the central region and slightly in other parts of the country.
“It is troubling that some mainstream media houses have recently swung into action to discredit the electoral process through narratives that are false, exaggerated, or selectively framed. Notably, the claims of police brutality against some candidates circulating in selected outlets have not been corroborated by facts, yet they are being amplified recklessly. Such conduct undermines public confidence and harms the integrity of the electoral process,” Wangadya said.
Dina Kyasimire, the police’s acting director of human rights and legal services, said the force she serves doesn’t target individuals due to their political affiliations. According to Kyasimire, it is the politicians who incite their supporters by refusing to abide by the provided campaign procedures, such as having no process, which antagonise other people’s movements, traffic flow, and business operations.
EC’s Spokesperson, Julius Mucunguzi, said they have learnt that supporters of rival camps are clashing, which risks making the campaign period chaotic, yet it had started on a good note, where many people were wondering about the calmness. Mucunguzi said the clashes between security forces have come from failure to follow the campaign procedures and also applauded candidates who have stuck to conducting peaceful rallies.
UHRC rallied every stakeholder, mostly the media, to uphold professionalism, responsibility, objectivity, accuracy, and patriotism. “The media is the bridge between institutions and citizens. That bridge must not be used to breed fear or distort reality. In an age of artificial intelligence and largely unregulated digital platforms, the obligation to verify information before publishing it is not just a journalistic requirement; it is a national duty,” Wangadya said.
Dr. Abudu Sallam Waiswa, the head of litigation, prosecution, and legal advisory at UCC, used the joint media briefing to caution journalists, bloggers, YouTubers, and vloggers against spreading falsehoods and fake news, which could be a source of violence.
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