1. ABDUCTION AND TORTURE OF OPPOSITION MEMBERS

On Thursday, Morning the Country was awash with an X post by the President Museveni’s son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who serves as Uganda’s Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) where he confirmed holding NUP Party ,member and the Hon. Kyagulanyi Ssentamu’s chief body guard Ssebuufu Edward alias Eddie Mutwe, days after he was reportedly abducted in Mukono from a social function he was attending.
Gen. Muhoozi confirmed that he was holding him in his basement.

This development was followed by a release order issued by the Uganda Human Rights Committee issued by its Chairperson the Hon. Mariam Wangadya Mutonyi dated 2nd May 2025 where she directed the CDF to release Eddie Mutwe from his ungazetted custody.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) unequivocally condemns the abduction, illegal detention since 27th April 2025 of Edward Ssebuufu. this brazen display of power highlights the regime’s blatant disregard for the rule of law and human rights. Thus, the incommunicado detention is antithetical to Article 28 of Uganda’s constitution guarantees the right to a fair hearing as well as article 24 which protects the right to freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Its ironic that the NRM administration, which rose to power promising to end extra judicial practices, now engages in similar abuses. This high handedness and impunity must be met with collective outrage and demand for his immediate release.

We are concerned that Eddie Mutwe’s situation is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic campaign to silence dissent and crush the aspiration of the Ugandans clamoring for change and freedom.

The detention of Eddie Mutwe is a stark reminder of the persistent human rights challenges in our country. This case echoes previous incidents of arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances documented in various human rights reports, including the US Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices as enumerated below;

Disappearance

There were numerous reports of disappearances by government authorities. Local media, opposition political parties, and human rights lawyers reported that the military – particularly the Chieftaincy for Military Intelligence (CMI) and the Special Forces Command (SFC) – and police continued to hold individuals, often opposition supporters, at unidentified locations without charge. Previously, both the Opposition FDC and NUP, reported that while an unspecified number of their supporters remained unaccounted for, the security forces continued to randomly detain the supporters without trial.

On 10th August 2022, Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights reported that according to UHRC figures, seven opposition supporters remained missing, five of whom security agencies detained in 2020 and two in December 2021. The UHRC reported in June that it investigated reports of 69 disappearances and successfully ordered the release of 64 detainees. The UHRC also recommended that the Uganda Police Force investigate all cases of enforced disappearance and ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted.

Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), acknowledged a list of 24 persons who went missing between 2019 and 2022 from the Opposition on On 5th December 2022, On 6th December 2022, the Minister for justice and constitutional affairs stated that government instituted a cabinet committee on human rights, which would investigate allegations of disappearance of opposition supporters. Neither the UHRC nor the cabinet committee had released findings of their search by year’s end.
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses
The constitution and law prohibit such practices. The law stipulates that any person convicted of an act of torture may receive a sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a monetary fine, or both. The penalty for conviction of aggravated torture is life imprisonment. Nevertheless, there were credible reports security forces tortured and physically abused suspects. Impunity was a problem.

In November 2022, the UN Committee Against Torture stated that it was “deeply concerned by reports that torture and ill-treatment continue to be widespread and frequently practiced in Uganda.” Human rights lawyers, the UHRC, p
Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights, opposition politicians, the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Human Rights Watch (HRW), and local media reported that security agencies tortured dissidents as well as suspects as punishment for their criticism of the government and its officials and to extract self-incriminating confessions, sometimes leading to death. In January 2022,the Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) reported that between 2020 and January 2022, it had received 121 suspects in custody who bore injuries on their bodies. Also in January the UHRC reported that between 2020 and January 2022 it recorded more than 500 complaints of torture and other cases of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

In December 2021, SFC officers arrested satirist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija at his home in Kampala. The day prior, Rukirabashaija had tweeted criticism of some members of the first family, describing the president as corrupt and his son, the then Commander of Land Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as obese and effeminate. On January 11, police arraigned Rukirabashaija in court and, in the absence of his lawyers and family, charged him

with two counts of “offensive communication.” Rukirabashaija remained in detention until January 25 when the court granted him bail. In media interviews published in February, Rukirabashaija said his body bore 63 scars from torture he experienced at the hands of SFC officers under the direct command of Gen. Muhoozi Keinerugaba. He stated that, during his detention, SFC officers deprived him of sleep and forced him to dance, kicked him, beat him with sticks, and on numerous occasions tore off his flesh using a pair of pliers. He said the officers then forced him to appear on camera and record an apology to the president and Kainerugaba. On February 9, Rukirabashaija went into exile after a court denied him leave to seek healthcare abroad.

In all the cases, Impunity has been largely a major a problem, and was widespread in police, the military, the prisons service, and the executive branch. The security forces did not take adequate measures to investigate and punish officers implicated in human rights abuses, especially in incidents involving political opposition members. Authorities encouraged and gave political and judicial cover to officials who committed human rights abuses.

We in the FDC demand respect for human rights, dignity, and the rule of law. We urge the government to prioritize these fundamental principles and work towards creating a society where citizens can live without fear of persecution or arbitrary detention.

2. ELECTORAL MAL PRACTICE IN THE ONGOING VOTER UPDATE EXERCISE

Our attention has been drawn to the Ongoing Voter Update exercise. In preparation for the 2025/2026 General Elections, the Electoral Commission released a Roadmap wherein the display of the National Voters Register commenced on 25th April 2025 and is expected to conclude on 15th May 2025. (for the period of 21days).

The Electoral Commission is mandated under Article 61 (1)(e) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995, and Sections 18 and 20 of the Electoral Commission Act (Cap 176) to compile, maintain, revise, and update the National Voters Register on continuous basis which shall include all names of persons entitled to vote in any national or local Government election as per section 18 of the Electoral Commission Act, Cap.176, and further display the compiled and updated register in accordance with Section 26 of the said Act. But it seems the Electoral Commission has fallen short/deviated from that duty.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party, wishes to highlight the electoral Commission’s recent voter update exercise, which has been plagued by widespread malpractices across the country, severely undermining the credibility of Uganda’s electoral processes. As guardians of democratic principles, we feel obligated to condemn these irregularities and call for remedial measures.

It should be recalled in the 2016 Presidential election petition of Amama Mbabazi Vs Attorney General emphasized that elections are a process not an event. The petition ‘s outcome led to recommendations for Electoral Commission to implement measures ensuring transparent, free and fair elections.

The FDC is further concerned about the exclusion of over 620 polling stations nationwide from the ongoing voter update exercise. This Omission threatens to disenfranchise voters in these areas, as the Electoral Commission won’t be able to clean the register or allow them to update their electoral records. It should be recalled that the over 620 Polling Stations which represent about 1.6% of the total number of Polling Stations from different Districts across the Country would not be able to view their particulars on the national voters register as of last Friday and that the Electoral Commission claimed that those areas had technical issues that emerged during the production of the segregated data.
We view this as criminal negligence on the part of the Electoral Commission which produced a comprehensive electoral road map almost two years back and Parliament approved resources to implement the road map.

We are further concerned about the fictious and fraudulent inflation of the electoral register. We have registered widespread concerns from our members and leaders that the inflation of the register was done under the watch of the Electoral Commission officials in various Districts working in connivance with the ruling NRM functionaries. We view these actions of fraudulently inflating the voter registers as unconstitutional. Voting should occur at one’s place of birth or ordinary residence. We’ve received widespread concerns from various areas indicating that the Commission has irregularly transferred voters between polling stations without proper verification or signatures from LC1 chairmen. Many LC1 chairmen have disowned these dubious actions.

Specific polling stations, such as Kamaliba in Nkozi sub-county, Mpigi District, and Nkozi A in Mpigi District, Ntwetwe Central polling station in Kyankwanzi District, Muzaana polling station in Kisenyi 1, Lubaga Road A polling station in Mengo Parish in Kampala Central, Rhino Champ polling Station A in Madi Okolo District among others have seen inexplicable surges in voter numbers to over 1000 or 1500 new voters. We consider these actions fraudulent and fictitious. Typically, a polling station shouldn’t have more than 800 registered voters, however, we’ve found numerous instances where polling stations have so far exceeded this number, with some reaching over 1,000,12000 and more which is alarming and unacceptable.
We express deep concern over security agencies’ intimidation and interference in the voter update exercise. Individuals seeking to inspect and scrutinize the process have been arrested, Acase in point is Ms. Nakayima Stella, a voter from Kayabwe Town Council, who was denied access to information at Nkozi A polling station and later arrested at Kayabwe Police Station where she slept in the coolers and later transferred to Mpigi Central Police Station where she was released on a Police bond on Tuesday last week.

Ladies and gentlemen, this a blatant violation of the law under section 25 (1) of the electoral Commission act, the voter’s roll for every constituency has to be open to inspection by the public and free of charge. And has to be available at the sub county headquarters and at each polling station with in a constituency.

The essence is to make it a people centered exercise and therefore it defeats the logic that a number of voters were barred from inspecting and scrutinizing the voters register.

The real essence of this update exercise is to give an opportunity to voters to correct their names, photographs and any other changes. It also helps to identify the dead to be removed, people who are under the voting age of 18years if they appear and those who have shifted or those who may appear in the register more than once. We condemn the arrest and people who want to corrupt the register using such foul play and not allowing people to scrutinize the above.

Finally, we have received information about deletion of perceived Opposition supporters from the Voters register as well as irregular transfer of voters from their traditional Polling stations to Polling Station very far away from where they have been traditionally voting from. This is an attempt intended to take away their right to vote.
In pursuit of a free, fair and verifiable elections, We Demand the following;
1. We demand for the public display of the register. Copies of the voter’s register be displayed for public scrutiny as per section 26(1) Cap.176 of the Electoral Commission Act. This will allow voters access and inspect the register with a view to weed out ineligible voters.
2. We demand that the over 620 Polling Stations which were not gazette by the Electoral Commission for update be expeditiously fixed and Parliament issue an instrument for their gazettement such that the voters in those affected Polling Station can as well participate in the voter update process within the 21 days so that we have a credible election.
3. We demand the Electoral Commission to review polling stations with fictious and fraudulent inflated registers to ascertain the numbers this should be expeditiously handled. The Constitutional right to vote should be respected. We insist that the voters right to vote from where he reside or place of birth.
4. We condemn the interference of security apparatus in this, the arrest of vigilant citizens in discharge of their civic and constitutional rights to scrutinize the register must be stopped henceforth. We call for a participatory exercise.
5. We are considering petitioning the Chairman of Electoral Commission to present to the attention of Commission these mal-practices in a detailed manner.
6. We call upon our leaders, members and supporters to be vigilant, go and update the register.
These malpractices undermine the integrity of the electoral process and disenfranchise citizens. We urge the Electoral Commission to take immediate corrective measures in addressing them. Short of, The Party will consider petitioning Court.

3. FDC INTERNAL PROCESSES

On Friday 2nd May 2025, at 4:00 PM, the FDC Electoral Commission officially closed the issuing of nomination forms for the Party Presidential Flagbearer in the 2026 General Elections.
By the end of the exercise the following candidates picked nomination forms.
1. Mr. Bumba Erinest
2. Hon. Patrick Oboi Amuriat
3. Mr. Matsiko Dan
4. Hon. Nathan Nandala Mafabi
5. Mr. Usaama Ssemogerere
6. Mr. Malinga Gerald
The candidates will be returning the forms for Nomination tomorrow Tuesday, 6th May and Wednesday, 7th May 2025.
After nominations the candidates will undergo a Vetting Process a Public Debate and then Campaigns.
Later in July, the NDC will sit to elect the Presidential Flag Bearer

 

MULINDWA WALID LUBEGA

FDC Deputy Secretary for Publicity – Publications and Documentations