KAMPALA, Uganda — When Ugandan journalist Ssematimba Bwegiire collapsed after being electrocuted with a stun gun and pepper-sprayed in the mouth by a security officer, bystanders feared he had been killed.
He survived. But he chose silence.
“People later told me they thought I had died,” Bwegiire told Vivid Voice News about the November assault during a joint military-police operation in western Uganda. “I did not file a police report because previous complaints have never brought justice.”
Bwegiire, a reporter with privately owned Radio Simba, was covering a rally by opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, whose campaign events have increasingly become flashpoints for heavy-handed security crackdowns, including the use of teargas and live ammunition.
As Ugandans head to the polls on January 15, the violence faced by journalists and the tightening grip on information are fueling mounting concern over the integrity of the electoral environment.
A long shadow of repression
Uganda has one of the worst records in the region for violence against the press, particularly during election cycles. Following the disputed 2021 election, dozens of civilians were killed during protests after Bobi Wine alleged widespread fraud.
Now, the pattern appears to be repeating.
On Tuesday evening, authorities ordered a nationwide internet suspension at 6 p.m. local time, according to independent internet-monitoring groups. The shutdown mirrors the 2021 blackout, when Uganda severed internet access for five days and permanently blocked Facebook, a ban that remains in effect.
The current election will see 81-year-old President Yoweri Museveni seek to extend his rule to nearly four decades.
Civil society under siege
Pressure on independent media intensified this week after the government suspended at least six civil society organizations, including Chapter Four Uganda, the Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-U) and the journalist training institution African Center for Media Excellence (ACME), citing unspecified security concerns.
“Clearly, this is part of a broader effort to silence scrutiny of public affairs as Uganda heads into general elections,” said ACME’s co-founder Peter Mwesige. “Independent media must rise to the occasion and provide accurate and credible information about the elections.”
HRNJ-U Executive Director Robert Ssempala told Vivid Voice News his organization had “worked well within [its] mandate of protection and promotion of press freedom” and would cooperate with official investigations.
On January 5, the information ministry further tightened controls by banning live coverage of “riots, unlawful processions, or violent incidents.”
Journalists assaulted, arrested, harassed
Although Vivid Voice News has documented five serious attacks on journalists since November 2025, reporters warn that intimidation surges whenever opposition activity intensifies, and accountability remains elusive.
Recent incidents include:
- November 5: Tayari West TV journalist Canary Mensor was assaulted by Bobi Wine’s private bodyguards in Rushere after refusing to stop filming a National Unity Platform rally.
- November 20: Bob Oyuku Ojok of Unity FM 97.7 in Lira was beaten by unidentified men who smashed his phone and chased him from a rally venue.
- December 15: Brian Ssenkumba of Channel 44 TV was arrested in Kampala while covering an NUP procession.
- January 5: Ivan Mbadhi of BBS Terefayina was violently assaulted in Kween District while filming Wine’s campaign stop. Video footage shows police kicking him, smashing his head against a vehicle and damaging his equipment. Mbadhi later vomited blood and travelled to Kampala for treatment.
Internet controls tighten further
In the weeks leading up to the vote, authorities restricted access to Starlink, the satellite internet provider operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and announced their ability to block decentralized communication tools such as Bitchat, which functions without conventional internet infrastructure.
On January 12, CPJ and 57 other organizations appealed directly to Museveni to guarantee “unfettered access to the Internet” during the elections.
One day later, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) ordered service providers to suspend public internet access and halt the sale of new SIM cards, citing the need to prevent “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks.”
Only “essential services,” including hospitals, the tax authority and banks, were allowed limited connectivity, under strict monitoring that prohibits social media, messaging apps and VPN usage.
Accreditation as a weapon
Independent outlets have also faced growing restrictions on accreditation. Authorities have barred journalists from the privately owned Nation Media Group-Uganda from covering Museveni’s events since March and blocked their access to parliament since October.
Also Read: Ugandan journalists urged to prioritize safety and ethics in covering politically charged events
UCC spokesperson Ibrahim Bbosa defended the measures.
“Any regulatory action by the commission is guided by the relevant legal framework,” he said. “Journalists who adhere to professional standards of accuracy, fairness, verification, context, and ethical judgment have nothing to fear.”
Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma, Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi, and NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi did not respond to requests for comment.
A climate of fear
For journalists like Bwegiire, the message is unmistakable: coverage of Uganda’s elections carries increasing personal risk, while the avenues for justice continue to narrow.
As voting day approaches, Uganda’s press, and the country’s democracy, face one of their most severe tests in decades.
