Politics 29 June 2026 Nile Post
Museveni's 2022 Pledges on Human Rights: A Record of Unfulfilled Promises?
Four years ago, President Museveni vowed to crack down on torture and illegal detentions following a meeting with Human Rights Watch. However, critics argue these commitments have largely gone unmet, with ongoing allegations of abuses and continued pressure on media freedom. Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/352134/today-in-history-museveni-vows-crackdown-on-torture-illegal-detention-after-human-rights-watch-meeting
On June 29, 2022, a significant meeting took place between Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Human Rights Watch representatives, including Executive Director Kenneth Roth. The discussions, held in Ntungamo, focused intensely on persistent allegations of torture, enforced disappearances, and illegal detentions implicating Ugandan security forces.
This high-level engagement followed a Human Rights Watch report detailing abuses within clandestine detention centers, often referred to as “safehouses.” During the talks, President Museveni publicly committed to sending a strong message to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and other security agencies, stating that torture and unlawful detentions would not be tolerated, emphasizing their wrongfulness and lack of necessity.
The delegation also pressed for accountability, and Museveni specifically promised an investigation and potential prosecution of former Internal Security Organisation (ISO) Director General, Frank Bagyenda, known as Kaka Bagyenda, over alleged links to torture and extortion within ISO facilities.
Furthermore, the conversation extended to the challenges faced by civil society organizations and the freedom of the press. The President pledged to address regulatory obstacles for NGOs and directed security agencies to cease harassing journalists, ensuring they could perform their duties unhindered.
While Kenneth Roth acknowledged the meeting as a positive step, he cautioned that presidential pledges alone were insufficient. He stressed the need for concrete actions and security sector reform, including the prosecution of officials involved in abuses, to signal a genuine commitment to improving Uganda’s human rights record.
Despite these assurances, evidence gathered over the subsequent years suggests a stark contrast. Critics contend that the promised reforms have not materialized. Reports of illegal detentions and the torture of opposition figures and activists have continued. Moreover, the harassment of journalists appears to have worsened, with incidents including the brutal assault of reporters by security forces during by-elections and the closure of media offices.