KAMPALA — Erias Lukwago, President of Uganda's People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), and Kenyan opposition leader Martha Karua are threatening to take legal action against East African governments at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over ongoing human rights abuses, enforced disappearances, and systemic abductions they say are rampant in the region.
Speaking in Kampala on Monday morning, Lukwago, alongside Karua, painted a chilling picture of political repression, claiming that opposition leaders and ordinary citizens are being targeted in a “coordinated campaign of terror” across Uganda, Kenya, DR Congo, and South Sudan.
“Day in, day out, abductions are happening in Kenya. In Uganda, it’s now part of the state’s DNA,” Lukwago charged.
“They’re not even hiding it anymore. MPs are being shot in broad daylight. Political leaders are hunted down like criminals. We are all in harm’s way. In South Sudan, Riek Machar was placed under house arrest.”
The two leaders announced plans to collaborate with human rights organizations and legal advocacy groups to petition both the ICC and the East African Court of Justice.
Karua, who had recently visited Uganda in solidarity with detained opposition figures, pledged to pursue cross-border legal action.
The announcement comes amidst escalating political repression in Uganda, where the climate is intensifying ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The crackdown on opposition activities has heightened, and the legal push is being framed as a last-resort effort to hold governments accountable for abuses.
During the press conference, Lukwago also slammed the ongoing national voter verification exercise being conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC), calling it a “colossal failure” and demanding its immediate suspension.
“The entire exercise is a sham,” Lukwago declared. “The turnout is abysmal. In many polling stations, not a single person shows up. This is supposed to verify a register of 20 million voters, yet barely a quarter have participated.”
He accused the EC of failing to adequately inform citizens about the process, arguing that the political climate—marked by arrests, kidnappings, and harassment—makes public participation nearly impossible.
“How can you ask people to verify their voter details when their leaders are behind bars, disappeared, or being chased down like fugitives?” Lukwago said.
Lukwago pointed to provisions in both the Constitution and the Electoral Commission Act, noting that purging the voter register requires independent parish tribunals, a step he argued had not been transparently executed or consulted with political parties.
He also accused the government of manipulating the electoral process for partisan advantage.
“Museveni has even canceled cabinet meetings to allow NRM leaders to focus on their internal primaries, while opposition parties are barricaded, their members abducted, and their posters torn down,” Lukwago claimed.
Despite these challenges, Lukwago confirmed that the PFF’s rebranding efforts are nearing completion.
“We’ve submitted all requirements. The EC has verified signatures from 101 districts—more than the 97 required. We expect our certificate any day now.”
Lukwago and his PFF leadership called for an urgent national stakeholders’ convention to discuss a new electoral pathway.
“You cannot run a credible election on a foundation of fear and blood,” Lukwago stressed. “Uganda deserves better than a paper tiger of a Constitution.”
The Electoral Commission has yet to respond to the calls for suspension of the voter verification exercise or address the broader political accusations made by the PFF leadership.
As the situation unfolds, it remains clear that the political temperature in Uganda will only continue to rise as the 2026 general elections approach.