Bobi Wine. Photo: NUP
Two days before Uganda’s general election, National Unity Platform (NUP) president Bobi Wine has denounced what he describes as a “height of cowardice and impunity” by the government, after several leading Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were reportedly shut down.
On Tuesday, Bobi Wine cited organisations including Chapter Four Uganda, Alliance for Election Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-U), National NGO Forum, and the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders as targets.
According to the NUP leader, the closures primarily affect groups that have been vocal against human rights violations or that monitor elections.
“ACFIM, which tracks election spending, is targeted because its previous reports exposed how President Museveni allegedly used hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ money to influence and ultimately manipulate elections,” Bobi Wine stated.
He added that NGOs defending journalists’ rights are similarly under threat, pointing to the detention of civil society leader Dr. Sarah Bireete, who he says was arrested for speaking out and educating the public.
Bobi Wine accused the government of using national security as a pretext to silence independent watchdogs.
“Their real crime is refusing to sanitize Museveni’s brutal, corrupt, and inept regime of blood and shame,” he said.
The NUP president called for solidarity with the affected organisations, urging Ugandans to exercise their democratic right at the polls.
“Uganda deserves a strong civil society that will do its work without intimidation. We can put an end to this madness in two days by strongly protesting at the ballot box and collectively rejecting any attempt to usurp the popular will of the people,” he emphasized.
The move has drawn widespread criticism from human rights advocates, who warn that the closure of CSOs could undermine transparency and accountability in the upcoming elections, raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
Bobi Wine’s comments reflect growing tension as Ugandans head to the polls, with observers closely monitoring the treatment of civil society and the space for dissent in the final days before voting.