By KT Reporter
Former Army Commander and leader of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), Gen. Mugisha Muntu, has said that the current state of political repression could worsen unless citizens, especially the youth, take a more active role in shaping the country’s governance.
Muntu made the remarks while addressing the media and lawyers at Uganda Law Society Headquarters in Kampala during the weekly press conference, where he was among the guest speakers. The event was to commemorate the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, held annually on June 26th.
Speaking on the theme “Torture and Violence-Free Elections for All by All, Muntu called attention to the growing normalisation of state-sanctioned abuse and voter intimidation in Uganda’s electoral process, describing a steady and dangerous decline in the integrity of elections.
“If we follow the trend, 2026 could be worse than 2021. Why is there a contradiction between our laws and the practice? Because the systems are being manipulated by the forces that dominate them, said Muntu.”
He cited recurring incidents of election-related violence, unlawful detentions, and torture. At least 54 people were confirmed dead, and others were injured in the 2020 pre-election violence.
The former presidential candidate questioned the audience, largely composed of legal professionals, students and journalists, on their political engagement. Few raised their hands when asked if they had voted in 2021, intend to vote in 2026, or were active in political parties.
Muntu used this as a launching point to encourage civic participation, warning that passivity allows those driven by self-interest to dominate and sustain corrupt systems.
“There will always be two contending forces: those who serve self-interest and those who seek collective progress,” said Muntu. According to Muntu, the future is shaped by those who actively choose a side, not by those waiting in tents for things to change on their own.
He challenged the youth, particularly educated Ugandans, to take responsibility for the nation’s future by engaging politically and professionally, whether through parties, civil society, or technical and logistical support to reform efforts.
“Parties are vehicles of governance. If we want change, we must first fix the dysfunction within political parties themselves,” Muntu noted, adding that simply replacing the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) with another party will not solve Uganda’s governance problems unless the new dominant force is rooted in integrity and collective interest.
On the issue of impunity, Muntu said, “It begins with normalising the abnormal. That’s how torture becomes tolerated, and justice is eroded. If institutions meant to uphold justice are weakened or choose mere survival over principle, society becomes vulnerable.”
The Communications Officer and Advocacy Officer at African Centre for Rehabilitation of Torture Victims-ACTV, Paul Kirya Mukalere, noted that as elections grow near, a deep concern remains about the trend of violence and elections.
He said that in 2020, ACTV documented 69 torture-related complaints resulting from elections.
The Uganda Human Rights Commission report, in the 24th annual report, registered 69 complaints of enforced disappearance related to the 2021 general elections.
In 2021, the general election overall, ACTV registered 108 survivors in the nine sampled districts: Kampala, Wakiso, Mokono, Jinja, Luhuka, Iganga, Kamuli, Lira, and Kwania. Mukalere said that the Uganda police was accounting for 42% of the torture-related complaints, UPDF 38%, while politicians had 7%. He added that during the Kawempe North by-elections, several journalists from different media houses reported to their offices, alleging torture and had several injuries.
Mukalere thus called for a torture and violence-free election which embraces the rule of law, but not an environment which promotes violence and torture through rule by law.
The commemoration event also featured testimonies from torture survivors like Exiled Ugandan Kakwenza Rukirabashaija and discussions on legal remedies and the need for institutional reform.
In 1987, Uganda became a signatory to the UN Convention against Torture and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. However, human rights groups continue to report systematic abuse by security forces-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
