The human rights group Vocal Africa has issued a stern demand to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, calling for the immediate disbandment of militias and the release of political detainees following reported killings during the country’s turbulent elections. The lobby’s intervention marks a rare and bold cross-border challenge to Kampala’s iron-fisted approach to dissent.

Reports trickling out of Uganda paint a grim picture of the electoral period, with allegations of state-sanctioned violence leaving at least 13 people dead in a single raid in Butambala. The Executive Director of Vocal Africa, Hussein Khalid, has not minced words, accusing the Ugandan state of turning a democratic process into a "hunting expedition" against opposition supporters, particularly those aligned with Bobi Wine's NUP party.

A Region on Edge

The lobby’s demands come at a time of heightened fragility in the East African Community.

• The Militia Menace: Reports indicate that armed groups, operating outside the formal police command but with state backing, have been terrorizing opposition strongholds.
• Arbitrary Detentions: Hundreds of young men remain unaccounted for, believed to be held in "safe houses" without trial—a chilling echo of Kenya’s own dark past during the Moi era.
• Diplomatic Silence: While Western embassies issue polite statements, regional leaders have largely remained silent, making Vocal Africa's stance all the more significant.

Solidarity Beyond Borders

"Injustice in Kampala is a threat to Nairobi," Khalid declared. The lobby is urging the Kenyan government to break its diplomatic silence and demand accountability from its neighbor. The interconnectedness of our economies means that instability in Uganda—Kenya’s biggest trading partner—will inevitably spill over, impacting everything from the price of eggs in Busia to the flow of goods from Mombasa.

As Museveni seeks to extend his decades-long rule, the eyes of civil society are watching. The demand is simple: stop the killing, release the youth, and let the ballot, not the bullet, decide.