By KT Reporter
As Uganda braces for its high-stakes general elections on January 15, 2026, the Uganda Police Force has issued a stern warning that flouting electoral guidelines and engaging in hate speech could ignite widespread clashes.
Assistant Inspector of Police (AIGP) Frank Mwesigwa, the Force’s Operations Commander, delivered the tough message at the National Peace Conference held at Mestil Hotel on Thursday, emphasizing that law enforcement will not hesitate to intervene to maintain order, even if it draws accusations of bias or brutality.
“An election period does not suspend the law. Politicking doesn’t mean laws become biased or irrelevant,” Mwesigwa declared, underscoring the police’s constitutional mandate under Article 212 of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution, which empowers them to protect citizens, prevent crime, and ensure public peace. He pointed to past incidents where candidates defied approved campaign venues, such as one who campaigned in the middle of a road, leading to security interventions that were later portrayed as excessive force.
“We have a constitutional mandate to maintain order, should we just sit and watch?” Mwesigwa challenged, such such actions often escalate into conflicts while attacks on officers, like fatalities during the 2016 elections, go under-reported in the media.
This plea for compliance comes against a backdrop of Uganda’s turbulent electoral history. Since President Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) came to power in 1986, elections have frequently been tainted by allegations of state intimidation, opposition arrests, and violence.
The 2021 polls, for instance, saw over 50 deaths from shooting security forces following the brief detention of opposition candidateRobert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), according to human rights groups. With the 2026 vote pitting the long-ruling NRM against a fragmented opposition amid economic hardships and youth unrest, tensions are already simmering.
Complaints of restricted campaign movements, teargas and arbitrary detentions, such as the recent arrests of over 100 opposition supporters in Gulu, have fueled mistrust, prompting renewed scrutiny under the Human Rights Enforcement Act of 2019 and the Political Parties and Organisations Act of 2005, which mandate fair competition and non-partisan security.
Mwesigwa attributed the relative calm in the first six weeks of the electoral process to proactive engagements with candidates, agents, and stakeholders. “The reason the first weeks were peaceful is because we were engaging: Please, there are guidelines, please follow the law,” he implored.
To bolster security, the police have zoned the country into 10 regions, each overseen by a high-ranking officer, with deployments based on hotspot mapping. They’ve intensified community policing, trained officers on standard operating procedures (SOPs), restraint, and rules of engagement, and are recruiting 40,000 electoral constables, one per polling station.
Coordination with the Electoral Commission and international partners like the European Union (EU) is also key, Mwesigwa added, concluding: “Until we go back to basics, follow guidelines and respect the law, we will have clashes. But if we work together, we shall deliver a credible election.”
The conference, convened by the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) with EU backing, culminated in delegates adopting 10 binding commitments to prevent violence and rebuild trust. Endorsed by political parties, the Electoral Commission, security agencies, parliamentarians, civil society, religious leaders, media, and development partners, these pledges emphasize adherence to the Electoral Code of Conduct under the Electoral Commission Act (Cap 140) and rejection of violence, intolerance, and misinformation.
Dr. Lawrence Sebwanbala, Executive Director of the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD), read the National Peace Declaration, warning of “a dangerous drift fueled by mistrust, intolerance, and impunity.” He stressed: “This is a contract with the country, not a photo moment. Uganda is not short of laws, we are short of obedience to them.”
Critiquing violations of the Public Order Management Act (POMA) and persistent risks like politicized security responses, he added, “We are sitting on a volcano of mistrust. Dialogue is the only water we have to cool it.”
NIMD Country Director Primus Bahiigi echoed these concerns, noting Uganda’s deepening divisions along religious, tribal, and partisan lines. “We are tearing each other apart by religion, tribe, and political affiliation,” he said, urging leaders to prioritize “people over power” and security forces to fulfill their duties under Articles 208-212 of the Constitution, which demand disciplined, impartial service. Quoting Kwame Nkrumah, Bahiigi reminded attendees: “Peace is costly, but worth the expense.”
Rev. Msgr. Charles Kasibante, representing Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere, delivered an impassioned call for moral accountability. “Dialogue cannot be real when supporters fear that attending a campaign event may cost them their freedom, or their life,” he said, referencing recent violence.
He admonished security officers: “Those who carry guns in the name of the state must remember that every person in a crowd is a citizen created in the image of God.” Warning against media blackouts, he asserted: “Closing the media or shutting the internet does not protect peace, it breeds suspicion.”
EU Ambassador Jan Sadek illustrated the stakes for Uganda’s international relations, insisting on “institutional neutrality, proportionate policing, and open campaigning” under constitutional freedoms like Articles 29 (freedom of expression), 38 (political rights), and 59 (right to vote). “Dialogue cannot be seasonal; democracy thrives when all voices are heard,” he said.
Former Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, officiating as Special Envoy under office of the President, cautioned against repeating past failures, such as the abandoned 2016 national dialogue. “Uganda must not repeat that mistake,” he urged, praising the Constitution’s mechanisms for coordination and imploring the political class: “We must not betray their faith,” he said in referance to citizens enduring hardships to participate.
As stakeholders signed the joint commitment, pledging ongoing monitoring and inclusion of youth, women, and cultural leaders, the conference marked a hopeful pivot.
Yet, with election day looming, the police’s emphasis on compliance, backed by legal mandates and echoed in sharp calls for dialogue, serves as a critical reminder: Uganda’s democratic future hangs on whether words translate into action, or if old fractures lead to new conflicts.
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