Lawyer and activist Anne Mugisha has sharply criticized the online conduct of Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba following the controversial arrest of Kampala lawyer and opposition figure Erias Lukwago, describing the national mood as one defined by fear, silence, and growing powerlessness.
In a statement shared online, Mugisha said many Ugandans watched the developments unfold in real time on social media, particularly on X, expressing shock at both the arrest and the tone of commentary that accompanied it.
“We saw it happen, gasped in disbelief as it unfolded on our X feeds. We cannot unsee it,” Mugisha stated, capturing what she described as a collective sense of unease across the country.
She argued that the incident has deepened a climate of fear, with citizens increasingly reluctant to openly confront authority.
According to Mugisha, many Ugandans have resorted to internalizing such incidents, treating them as realities beyond their control.
“The smell of powerlessness hangs over the whole country like the stench of a coward’s sweat,” she said, adding that citizens are avoiding even eye contact with each other, unwilling to confront what she termed as a shared fear.
Mugisha also referenced other detained figures, including long-term political detainees, suggesting that Lukwago’s situation reflects a broader pattern.
She expressed confidence that Lukwago would endure detention, drawing parallels with others who have spent extended periods in Luzira Prison.
“If KB and Obeid have survived in Luzira for 579 days, Omuloodi will survive too. His clients will teach him how to survive there,” she noted.
Beyond the individual case, Mugisha raised concerns about what she described as a shrinking democratic space, where citizens feel reduced to passive observers. She accused political actors of manipulating electoral processes while using fear to suppress dissent.
“We have been reduced to spectators in a political arena where our tormentors pretend to need us every five years,” she said, questioning the credibility of elections under such conditions.
Her remarks come amid ongoing debate over the role of the military in civilian affairs and the increasing use of social media by top security officials to comment on sensitive political developments.