On 8 September 2026, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, publicly threatened the arrest of anyone involved in a reported celebration for former Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. Kainerugaba stated that there would be “absolutely no party” for Among and that anyone involved would be arrested. He did not specify who was allegedly organising the event or the unresolved cases to which he referred.
The statement comes amid recent military involvement in the detention of government critics. In June 2026, human rights lawyer Erias Lukwago was taken from his home by armed soldiers and his whereabouts remained unknown for more than two days. Prior to his detention, Kainerugaba had publicly threatened to arrest him and later claimed on X that he was holding him in a “basement”. Human Rights Watch has documented several other cases of government critics being detained by military personnel in recent months.
In this context, renewed threats of detention by the country’s military chief can create fear and uncertainty among political and civic actors, potentially discouraging them from speaking out, organising or taking part in politically sensitive activities due to fear of detention or retaliation.