The imprisonment of Ugandan student Elson Tumwine over a TikTok post marks yet another troubling development in the country’s deteriorating human rights landscape.
Development Diaries reports that a Ugandan student Tumwine was recently imprisoned for two months over a social media post criticising the country’s president, Yoweri Museveni.
According to reports, Tumwine, an agriculture student, went missing on 08 June in the western district of Hoima where he was on an internship, and later resurfaced at a police station last week before being formally charged over a TikTok post.
This was after a public outcry over allegations he had been abducted.
This incident highlights a broader pattern of repression, particularly targeting dissenting voices online, as the country inches toward a pivotal general election in January.
The fact that a university student was secretly held and later charged just for sharing his opinion shows a serious decline in civil liberties, especially the right to freedom of speech, which is guaranteed under Article 29 of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution and international instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Uganda is a signatory.
Uganda’s authorities have increasingly used vague laws, such as the Computer Misuse Act, to silence criticism of the government and its officials.
In a 2024 report by Amnesty International, Uganda was flagged for ‘stifling digital expression’, with activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens facing harassment or detention for their online activities.
The case of Tumwine reflects a growing climate of fear and self-censorship, particularly among the youth who make up over 75 percent of Uganda’s population.
According to a 2022 Afrobarometer survey, only 39 percent of Ugandans felt free to express themselves, a drop from 53 percent in 2015, signaling an alarming decline in civic space and democratic accountability.
The circumstances surrounding Tumwine’s disappearance which was initially feared to be an abduction, also raise concerns about enforced disappearances and lack of due process.
This form of arbitrary detention is not only unlawful but a direct violation of Uganda’s obligations under international human rights law.
It also reflects the state’s increasing resort to extra-legal tactics to suppress political dissent, which may serve to further alienate young Ugandans from political participation. These actions undermine the credibility of the forthcoming elections and violate citizens’ right to engage in democratic processes without fear of persecution.
Development Diaries calls on the Ugandan government to take urgent steps to reverse this authoritarian drift, by releasing Tumwine immediately and unconditionally, repealing or amending repressive laws that criminalise free speech, and ensuring that law enforcement agencies are held accountable for unlawful detentions.
As elections approach, authorities must commit to upholding constitutional rights, fostering open dialogue, and protecting the fundamental freedoms of all citizens, both online and offline. The right to criticise leaders is not a crime, it is a cornerstone of democracy.
Photo source: Channel Africa
