A coalition of prominent Kenyan and African women leaders has spoken out against the reported victimisation of women in Uganda following the January 2026 elections, urging authorities to take immediate action and ensure accountability.
The group, which includes Kenyan legislator and lawyer Martha Karua, Prof. Julia Ojiambo, Beatrice Kamau, and Sophie Dola, issued an open letter expressing concern over what they describe as intimidation, humiliation, and violence directed at women.
“We have watched in dismay as security forces, under the command of the state, have weaponised violence, humiliation, and terror, particularly against the women of Uganda, to settle political scores,” the letter states.
The letter cites several incidents, including the alleged assault on National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi’s wife, Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi, on January 22, 2026.
Security forces reportedly breached her home and subjected her to violence, leaving her hospitalised at Nsambya Hospital.
She had previously been under house arrest and denied access to family, media, and medical care.
Other cases highlighted include the alleged abduction and mistreatment of NUP leaders Dr Zahara Nampewo and Doreen Kaija, as well as the detention of women such as Sauda Madada and Olivia Lutaaya, who were reportedly targeted during arrest and while in custody.
The letter also draws attention to the enforced disappearances of Dr. Lina Zedriga and Jolly Jackline Tukamushaba, whose whereabouts were initially denied by security agencies.
The signatories criticised public conduct by military leadership, noting a pattern of online remarks that demean women.
“When the Commander of the Defence Forces publicly disgraces women, it provides a 'greenlight' for forces under his command to treat women with similar contempt, brutality, and violence,” the letter says.
The Kenyan and African leaders called on Ugandan authorities to take immediate steps to protect women and hold those responsible for abuses accountable.
They also appealed to regional and international bodies—including the African Union, East African Community, United Nations, African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Commonwealth, SADC, and ECOWAS—to support justice for victims.
“To our sisters in Uganda: you do not walk alone. Your pain is felt in the streets of Nairobi, the halls of Addis Ababa, and the hearts of women worldwide,” the letter concludes.
The Pan-African network of women leaders pledged to continue advocating for justice and closely monitoring the situation.
