KAMPALA, Uganda — The trials of prominent Ugandan opposition figures have resumed under the shadow of an escalating military crackdown, driven largely by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni.
Following President Museveni's election to a seventh term in early 2026, the 52-year-old army chief has begun exercising unprecedented and seemingly unchecked authority. In recent weeks, Kainerugaba has ordered the arrest of leading activists, detained high-profile defense lawyers, and shut down the country's primary independent media group.
The current crisis reached a boiling point in mid-June 2026 when Erias Lukwago, the Lord Mayor of Kampala and a prominent defense lawyer, was abducted by military forces. Lukwago was preparing to serve legal summons on Kainerugaba concerning the unlawful detention and alleged torture of veteran opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye.
Following Lukwago's detention, Kainerugaba took to the social media platform X to declare his disdain for due process, writing: "I'm proud of ALL the hurt and pain I will inflict on the CRIMINAL LUKWAGO!"
In response to Lukwago's arrest, the Uganda Law Society (ULS) launched an unprecedented nationwide strike. In a blistering statement, the ULS declared that "when torture enters the courtroom, justice leaves the Republic," signaling a total collapse of legal protections for citizens and legal professionals alike.
The diplomatic fallout has also spilled across borders. Last week, Ugandan authorities detained and summarily deported Martha Karua, Kenya's former Justice Minister and a renowned human rights lawyer, who had traveled to Kampala to observe Lukwago's trial. Amnesty International condemned the deportation as a "shameless attempt to suppress trial observation."
