Uganda is bracing for upcoming elections on January 15, where President Yoweri Museveni, 81, aims to extend his four-decade rule amidst accusations of increasing repression. His primary challenger is Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, 43, a singer-turned-politician and the presidential candidate for the National Unity Platform (NUP).

Amnesty International reported that Ugandan security forces have employed torture and arbitrary arrests to intimidate the opposition ahead of these crucial elections. The human rights organization gathered evidence of security officers using beatings and tear gas against NUP supporters. A notable incident occurred on November 24, 2025, when supporters of Bobi Wine's campaign rally in Kampala were dispersed with tear gas fired by police officers.

Amnesty International's regional director for east and southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, stated that authorities have launched a brutal campaign of repression, making it extremely difficult for the opposition to exercise their rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly. This campaign included an NUP supporter being killed at a rally on November 28; the deceased's family reported being barred from witnessing the postmortem and never receiving a death certificate, despite police claims of dispersing a violent crowd.

In recent months, Amnesty compiled a tally of 400 individuals arrested for supporting the NUP, facing charges such as malicious damage to property or inciting violence. Four interviewees shared accounts of being beaten with batons, pepper-sprayed in the mouth, and tasered, with one describing being pulled from a vehicle into a police truck after being pepper-sprayed at a Kampala rally.

Significant fears also surround a potential internet shutdown during the election, echoing the government's actions in 2021 to prevent information dissemination regarding voting manipulation and violence. These concerns intensified with the ban on Starlink equipment imports last month and recent reports suggesting Elon Musk's company has agreed to a total block on its use in Uganda.

Despite these anxieties, Uganda's authorities have denied plans to cut internet access. Nyombi Thembo, Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), dismissed reports of a possible internet blackout as "mere rumours," asserting the commission's role in guaranteeing uninterrupted nationwide connectivity. "As of now, there is no resolution to switch off the internet," Thembo told Kampala-based Capital FM.

In response to these persistent concerns, the NUP launched an offline vote-monitoring application named Bitchart. Unveiled by Bobi Wine, the app leverages Bluetooth technology to facilitate the sharing of images of results forms from polling stations and voting data without requiring internet access. Wine, in his New Year's address, reiterated his belief that the regime is plotting an internet shutdown, as seen in past elections, to hinder communication, prevent citizens from organizing, verifying results, and demanding accountability.

Adding to the restrictive environment, the government has also banned live broadcasts of riots, "unlawful processions," and other violent incidents ahead of the election, arguing that such broadcasts could "escalate tensions and spread panic."