Ugandan critics face legal and physical threats

Praise Aloikin Opoloje, a social media user, was detained in September 2026 and charged with unlawful use of a SIM card registered in her mother’s name. She denies the charge and claims she was abducted by men who threatened her and her family.

Opoloje alleges she was lured to a police station with a false accusation of stealing a carpet, then forced into a van where she was beaten and threatened. She says she feared being taken to a basement where people are tortured and raped, but was eventually granted bail on October 14.

Emmanuel Baliza, a father, says his 17-year-old son, William, was taken by armed men after the teenager expressed intent to protest against police brutality and Uganda’s education system. The men allegedly took William to a military detention facility, but officials denied holding him.

Andrew Tabandama Natumanya, a journalist and human rights activist, claims he was assaulted and threatened for reporting on a security operation linked to former Parliament Speaker Anita Among. He alleges he was stripped naked and photographed by officers after being abducted and detained for five days.

Steven Atukwatse, a lawyer, says he has represented 12 individuals charged under Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act, many of whom criticized President Yoweri Museveni or his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba. He notes that families often struggle to locate missing relatives and that evidence is uneven between prosecution and defense.

Army spokesperson Colonel Chris Magezi says the military operates within the law and denies allegations of unlawful disappearances. He states that suspects are brought before courts and that social media is monitored.