Human rights activist and prominent lawyer Sam Muyizzi Mulindwa has issued a sober warning on the state of the nation’s political climate in the wake of the recently concluded general elections, describing a society gripped by “uncertainty and confusion” and insisting that genuine dialogue and respect for citizens’ rights are urgently needed to avert escalating tensions.
Speaking on NBS Frontline on Thursday, Muyizzi said that despite official assurances from the government that the situation is “normal,” many Ugandans feel disillusioned and anxious about the future.
“We have a despondent society with a sense of uncertainty and confusion post‑election. And it’s not about to be resolved if we continue to see the government putting on a straight face saying things are normal,” he said.
Muyizzi reaffirmed concerns that have been raised by opposition leaders and civil society about the transparency of the electoral process. He stated that there were “negotiated victories” in places where results showed that certain candidates — in some cases those who had finished third according to official tally sheets — were later declared winners.
“We had negotiated victories. People had the DR forms in their hands but were calling different people to make sure they were declared as winners. We have a set of petitions where people in the third position, according to the results, were declared as winners,” he said.
Muyizzi expressed alarm at what he described as punitive actions against civilians perceived to be aligned with opposition politics, citing overcrowded conditions in detention facilities.
“We found our people in prison cells which were supposed to hold 20 holding 200 people,” he said, underscoring concerns about due process and human rights violations.
Muyizzi made it clear that activists and civil liberties defenders are prepared to press on with their work, regardless of political pressure.
“We are not going to negotiate rights. We are going to fight for our rights,” he said, framing the ongoing moment as one that requires resilience and collective action.
As Uganda navigates the aftermath of the elections, calls for a national dialogue have grown louder. Opposition figures have maintained that the electoral process was flawed, demanding reforms, accountability, and guarantees for political freedoms going forward.
Those calls have been amplified by the continued absence of prominent opposition figure Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, who is currently abroad on international engagements. Kyagulanyi has not returned home since the day after the polls, a situation that supporters say highlights the political pressures faced by opposition members.
Government officials have repeatedly stated that the National Unity Platform (NUP) is not under attack and that there is no targeting of political groups. Yet, critics argue that the lived realities of opposition supporters, including arrests and legal petitions over election results, paint a different picture.
In response to the growing calls for national healing, religious leaders and elder statespersons have stepped forward to encourage both sides to prioritize the national interest above partisan politics. These efforts, however, have so far produced limited results. Skepticism remains high among sectors of the public, who question whether structured dialogue will lead to substantive reforms or end up being a symbolic exercise that fails to address core issues.
Previous attempts at political talks have delivered mixed outcomes, leaving many doubtful about the prospects for meaningful compromise. Public confidence in the process remains fragile, and the central question on many minds is whether political actors are genuinely willing to make the concessions necessary for a sustainable resolution.
For several weeks, quiet but intensive negotiations have reportedly been underway between the National Unity Platform and government representatives aimed at facilitating the safe return of party president Robert Kyagulanyi from abroad. Although some mediators suggested progress had been made, the NUP has officially denied that such talks are taking place.
The party emphasized that there are no sanctioned negotiations with the government that would lead to conditions or understandings about Kyagulanyi’s return, pushing back against speculation.
As the nation waits for clearer signals from political leaders, the post‑election period continues to be characterized by tension, debate, and uncertainty. With calls for dialogue standing as both a hopeful possibility and an uncertain path forward, the coming weeks are likely to shape Uganda’s political landscape for months and years to come
