Uganda’s 2026 Election: Fraud, Violence, and Oppression of Opposition Leaders

The European Parliament says the 15 January 2026 elections in Uganda were unfair and full of abuse, fraud, violence and a nationwide internet blackout. President Yoweri Museveni was declared winner for a seventh term, but the process did not meet basic democratic standards.

The Parliament points out that the military surrounded the home of opposition leader Robert “Bobi” Wine, attacked his family and staff, and forced his wife to leave the country. Before the vote, civil‑society groups were shut down, human‑rights defenders were targeted, and over 400 people were arrested before the election and many more after, with reports of torture. A peaceful protester, Mesach Okello, was shot dead on 28 November 2025. Several opposition leaders went missing after the vote. Dr Kizza Besigye was illegally taken from Kenya, held for more than a year, is ill, denied medical care, and faces a treason trial.

The resolution strongly condemns the elections, the crackdown on opposition, journalists and protesters, the threats to Bobi Wine, and the killing of Okello. It urges Ugandan authorities to:

1. Stop all violence, threats, harassment and arbitrary arrests of opposition figures, activists and critics, including Bobi Wine and his wife.
2. Release everyone who has been detained without justification, such as Dr Besigye.
3. End military trials of civilians, drop politically motivated charges (e.g., against Sarah Bireete), and find the missing people.
4. Stop arbitrary suspensions of civil‑society groups and any further internet restrictions.
5. Carry out comprehensive electoral and institutional reforms, making the electoral commission and judiciary independent.

The Parliament calls on the EU, its member states and regional bodies to engage critically with Uganda, monitor trials closely, review aid and cooperation, and consider targeted sanctions. It also urges support for civil society, human‑rights and LGBTIQ+ defenders, and journalists, and calls for independent investigations into crimes against humanity by Ugandan leaders. The resolution is sent to the Council, Commission, Vice‑President for Human Rights, the African Union and Ugandan authorities.