Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, has criticized what she describes as the deliberate use of public institutions to campaign for President Yoweri Museveni ahead of Uganda’s elections.
Byanyima highlighted a recent incident involving the Uganda Prisons Brass Band, which she said was photographed wearing Museveni campaign T-shirts and prepared to perform in support of the incumbent.
According to her, when questioned, the officer in charge “pleaded ignorance,” raising concerns about the politicization of state institutions.
“It’s not just MODVA_UPDF. Across the country, public institutions are being used to campaign for incumbent president Kaguta Museveni. This is blatant and deliberate,” Byanyima tweeted.
She added that such actions constitute a “capture of state institutions” and warned that they should not be normalized.
Byanyima called on the Uganda Prisons Service to remain neutral and stay out of partisan politics, emphasizing that no state body is above the law.
Her remarks come amid growing scrutiny over the role of government agencies in political activities, with civil society groups in Uganda increasingly expressing concerns over the misuse of public resources during election periods.
The UNAIDS executive’s intervention highlights the international attention on Uganda’s electoral environment and the broader implications for democratic governance in the country.