WASHINGTON-(MaraviPost)-U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the Ranking Member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has issued a statement condemning the ongoing repression of opposition figures, civil society leaders, and activists in Uganda as the country gears up for its tightly contested January 15, 2026 general election.
Senator Shaheen has demanded that Ugandan authorities must “refrain from violence and suppression especially around the elections,” warning that “the arrests of citizens, opposition figures, and civil society leaders cannot go unaddressed.”
The Senator has particularly called for the immediate release of human rights lawyer Sarah Bireete, writing, “I call on the Ugandan authorities to release Sarah Bireete immediately.”
Bireete’s arrest has become emblematic of broader concerns over shrinking civic space in Uganda.
Sarah Bireete, the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG) and head of regional election-observer coalitions, was detained on December 30, 2025, after security forces surrounded her home in Kampala, according to multiple reports.
She was subsequently charged with unlawfully obtaining or disclosing personal data under Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, alleged to involve National Voters’ Register information.
During her appearance at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Court, she denied the charges and was remanded to Luzira Prison while a bail hearing is set for later in January.
The circumstances of the arrest have drawn widespread condemnation from local and international observers, with civil society organisations arguing that the charge is politically motivated and part of a broader pattern of intimidation aimed at stifling critics ahead of the polls.
Amnesty International has documented reports of security forces using tear gas against peaceful crowds, pepper-spraying and beating individuals, and launching what its Regional Director for East and Southern and Africa, Tigere Chagutah, called a “brutal campaign of repression” that inhibits fundamental freedoms ahead of the elections.
The international community is increasingly concerned about the shrinking civic space in Uganda and the government’s crackdown on opposition voices, with Senator Shaheen’s statement adding to the growing pressure on Ugandan authorities to respect human rights and ensure a free and fair election.
