Suppression of the Freedom to Protest in Uganda Exhibits Hobbling Democracy

 

By Michael Aboneka Jr

The rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly, and expression are recognized in various legal instruments including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter, the Africa Democracy Charter, and the Ugandan Constitution. The responsibility of Uganda is to protect, promote, and abstain from violating the above rights. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has developed international standards, including 10 general principles that apply before, during, and after a protest which every actor must pay attention to. These include, among others, protecting protesters, holding perpetrators accountable, respecting constitutional bodies, denouncing violence, investigating human rights violations, denouncing the closure of public spaces and facilities, and promoting dialogue. Uganda must examine itself against the above standards if it is to claim a high score in protecting and promoting the freedom to protest.

Uganda’s record of allowing peaceful protests and demonstrations is not a good one, it keeps declining which is bad for democracy. According to the Freedom House Global Freedom Index 2024, Uganda is categorized as not free scoring 34/100 and one of the major reasons is suppressing the freedom of expression and protest. Protests are a form of expression, a citizen has the right to express their dissatisfaction or otherwise without any restrictions or fear of retribution even though they must do so within the parameters of the established laws. The Constitutional Court has pointed out that a police officer cannot stop an ongoing meeting and neither does one need police’s permission to hold a peaceful assembly or protest. Despite this, some overzealous officers still insist on permission in the guise of a notice. Even when the law prescribes a notice for a public meeting, the police will still foil a one-person peaceful protest in the name of failure to notify them (even when the one-person protest is not a public meeting by definition under the Public Order and Management Act).

The curtailment of the freedom to protest in Uganda is a direct attack on the country’s democratic principles. The government's use of restrictive laws, violent repression, and the silencing of dissenting voices undermines the very essence of democracy—an inclusive and participatory system of governance. The repression of protests limits citizens' ability to hold their government accountable, stifles political competition, and contributes to an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

The continuous clamp down on peaceful protesters, such as the #March2Parliament series of peaceful protests against corruption, bad roads, the trial of civilians in military courts, deforestation, and EACOP among others is a violation of the freedom to protest. I have not yet seen any successful peaceful protests save those organized by the regime apologists. Regardless of what side of political class or color one belongs, the right to freedom of protest is available and the state is enjoined to protect all protesters and desist from any violent and non-violent arrests or stopping of the same. As we head towards the 2026 elections, we should allow more space for expression including the freedom to protest and assembly. Ugandans must enjoy their freedoms if indeed Uganda is democratic.

For Uganda to strengthen its democracy, it must protect and promote the rights of its citizens to protest peacefully and engage in political discourse without fear of reprisal. This requires maximum respect for law and the reign of the rule of law and ensuring that every perpetrator of violence is brought to justice. Until these changes are made, Uganda will continue to face the challenges of democratic erosion, with its citizens unable to freely express their grievances and demand the change they deserve.

 

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