On  Monday,  15  February  2016,  Uganda’s  police  arrested  Dr.  Kizza  Besigye,   the presidential flag bearer for the main opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change  (FDC). Dr. Besigye is one of the eight presidential candidates cleared to contest for the  Presidency in the upcoming General Election scheduled for 18 February 2016. Dr. Besigye’s arrest came only three days to the election polling day and two days ahead of the official closing of the campaign period for political parties.

The information we have is that Dr. Besigye was arrested on his way to a campaign rally at  Makerere University where his supporters had gathered. During his arrest police lobbed tear gas and water cannons at the peaceful supporters to disperse them. This provoked the crowd leading to commotion between the supporters and the security agencies, resulting in the death of one of the supporters, with many others sustaining injuries.

The arrest and detention of Dr. Besigye which also led to a disruption of his political campaign, was a violation of the universal right of peaceful assembly, freedom of  expression and freedom of association guaranteed by Articles, 19, 22 and 23 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; Articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and Articles 9-11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Uganda is a party. International law allows people to associate without undue restrictions, including for political purposes.

Monday’s events are a clear reflection of the uneven playing field for the political opposition to organise and campaign in Uganda, ahead of the elections. Ugandan authorities continue  to  use  arbitrary  arrest,  the  indiscriminate  use  of  force, and  other tactics to keep the political opposition from organizing in preparation for the elections, with bizarre justifications given by the police for such violations.

“We are concerned at the deterioration of democratic space in Uganda. The increase in  violations  of fundamental   rights  and   civil  liberties  in  Uganda  has  become   so frequent and serious asto create an uneven playing field between government an d opposition as the election date nears,” said Njonjo Mue, Senior Advisor to Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice (KPTJ).

The Uganda government should end its crackdown on the political opposition  leaders and their supporters, and create conditions for free and fair elections. Every citizen’s right to choose who to support and to vote for should be safeguarded regardless of their political affiliation.

“In the coming days, we expect the Uganda government will ensure a conducive  environment exists for ALL Ugandan’s to exercise their democratic right to vote for leaders of their choice,” said Stella Ndirangu, a Programme Manager at ICJ Kenya.

The international community particularly development partners who have provided resources for the conduct of the elections should remind Uganda that the world is watching and that the deteriorating rights climate will not be condoned.

Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice (KPTJ) condemn the intimidation of the opposition and their supporters and calls:

On the Government of Uganda to:

▪ Respect the political opposition leaders and provide an even environment for political choice and expression before, during and post the 18 February 2016 General Election;
▪ Cease all reprisals taken against individuals peacefully exercising their right to Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Association and Freedom of Expression as guaranteed by international and national laws;
▪  Take  action  by  investigating  and  prosecuting   security   agencies   who   authorized the use of excessive force on peaceful political supporters.

On the East African Community (EAC) to:
▪ Urge the government of Uganda to create universally acceptable conditions for free and fair elections.
▪ Publicly condemn the ongoing attack on freedoms of assembly, association and expression and reprisals against opposition figures in Uganda.

▪ Apply  pressure  on  the  government  of  Uganda  to  stop  harassment  of  political
opposition  leaders   and  their  supporters  and  take  concrete  steps  towards
ensuring the forthcoming elections are peaceful, free and fair;

PRESS RELEASE AHEAD OF UGANDA ELECTIONS

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