Human rights lawyer and activist Sarah Bireete has revealed growing frustration and confusion among citizens in rural western Uganda following President Yoweri Museveni’s recent national address, with many questioning the role of activists in confronting governance concerns.
In a statement issued on Friday, July 10, Bireete said she received multiple phone calls from community leaders reacting to the president’s speech, widely discussed online as #M7Address.
In the address delivered last Saturday, Museveni emphasized national stability, security, and economic progress, while dismissing critics and warning against what he described as disruptive elements undermining government efforts.
Bireete noted that the reactions from rural communities reflected a widening gap between public awareness and civic responsibility.
“One caller, a woman leader from Rukungiri, asked bluntly, ‘So, what are you people going to do next?’” Bireete said, adding that the question revealed a belief that defending the Constitution and human rights is the responsibility of a small group of activists rather than a shared national duty.
She challenged that perception, arguing that the protection of the rule of law should not be left to a handful of individuals while the majority remain passive observers.
Another call from a community organizer in Bushenyi raised alarm over recent incidents involving prominent figures.
“What is happening in Kampala? First it was you in December, then the former Speaker, and now Matembe. How can this happen to a 73-year-old woman?” the caller reportedly asked, referencing a series of high-profile confrontations that have drawn scrutiny from civil society.
The repeated question—“What are you going to do?”—Bireete said, points to a troubling mindset where citizens acknowledge governance challenges but distance themselves from taking action.
“These conversations reveal that while many Ugandans are aware of the erosion of constitutionalism and democratic freedoms, they still see the responsibility to respond as belonging to ‘others,’” she stated.
She warned that such attitudes risk weakening civic engagement at a time when the country faces heightened debate over governance, accountability, and citizens’ role in safeguarding democratic principles.