EU holds Uganda to human rights standards, good governance
Deep in thoughts wondering where Uganda’s main opposition leader could be hiding after a raid on his home and horrible assault of his wife by the nation’s security forces, my mind was on Sam Mugumya, a seasoned political activist whose whereabouts are still unknown since the beginning of 2026 elections.
Mugumya, Dr Kiiza Besigye’s political assistant, was abducted by non-uniformed men from a hotel in Mbarara. There is no update regarding his whereabouts nor does his close family know. He joins the list of John Bosco Kibalama and a litany of other missing Ugandans.
Going through previous posts on his official X account to clarify when he last made a communication, l came across a viral tweet from the European Union parliament regarding Uganda’s 2026 elections. My thoughts deepened.
On 12 February the European Union parliament adopted three resolutions on human rights violations in Iran, Turkey and Uganda. The resolution for Uganda was about the 2026 elections shortcomings, state of human rights observation and democracy.
The EU resolution condemning Uganda’s current oppressive and repressive government regarding the 2026 elections was adopted by 514 votes in favour, three against with 56 abstentions.
The resolution underpins widespread intimidation, harassment and detention of opposition key figures, internet blackout, persecution of Bobi Wine and Dr Besigye, suspension of civil society, torture and enforced disappearances as crimes against humanity which undermine EU principles, values and development corporation.
The EU members in Brussels concluded by calling for impartial investigations into crimes and atrocities committed by political and military leaders.
However, back in Uganda the resolution received mixed reactions across the spectrum, where victims of oppression and enablers of oppression made strong responses.
While the majority of right-thinking Ugandans applauded the EU parliament for taking a firm stand demanding accountability for lives lost and good governance, yet again some naive oppression enablers aligned to the National Resistance Movement accused the EU of interference and meddling in matters of a sovereign state.
For instance, one of the respondents named Walokoka Omwijukuru in the X thread of the EU account stated: “This is not a colony of the EU parliament, you have a lot of issues to solve in your backyard, deal with them first.”
Such chest-thumping statements are not coming from a random person on social media, no. These are well facilitated and orchestrated to intimidate any development partner demanding accountability and transparency.
I wish to leverage on this particular absurd response accusing the EU of interference and meddling in matters of a sovereign state to expound my thoughts and defend human rights, democracy and good governance.
Nowhere in the World, should abductions, sexual assault, electoral fraud, physical brutality, cyber stalking and harassment, enforced disappearances and torture of innocent civilians by military be treated as a normal thing in the 21st century.
No Ugandan or African should chest-thumb nor defend indefensible acts dehumanising and denigrating fellow human beings regardless of political differences, tribe, race, gender or faith beliefs.
First and foremost, Uganda is a member state of the United Nations, which champions the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Therefore, the Uganda government is duty-bound to protect the lives of all citizens, conduct free and fair elections, safeguard democratic rights and political liberties under the UN charter and the EU Convention on Human Rights of 1950.
Unfortunately, repression of political opponents, abductions, torture, brutality, enforced disappearances and electoral violence from Uganda’s military in the 2026 elections did not only violate key tenets of democracy enshrined in the Uganda 1995 Constitutional but equally violated (i) the Universal declaration of Human rights (ii) the African Charter on Democracy and Elections (iii) ICGLR protocol on democracy and good governance instruments that compel signatory member states to the rule of law, separation of powers and the need for free and fair elections.
Nations must abide by the international instruments and agreements principles and values like democracy, human rights observation and good governance to enjoy international trade, investments and diplomatic relations.
It’s upon this background that the EU invests approximately 150 billion Euros in Africa and 1.4 Billion Euros in Uganda with close to 115 million in ongoing projects in agriculture, green jobs, climate resilience, tourism, human capital development and refugee support.
As one of the biggest investments and trade partners to Uganda, the EU has all the rights to follow what happens in countries where European tax payer’s money is spent.
This is an era where the world has become a global village, what affects one part of the world affects the other;
The EU is grappling with surging numbers of immigrants from Africa and obviously some of the issues forcing Africans to flood Europe are unemployment, poverty and political persecution that stems from bad governance, human rights violations and entrenched authoritarianism.
By seeking better electoral reforms, the end of political oppression and human rights violations, the EU is directly addressing its own issues and, above all, caring for humanity.
Lest we forget, similar crimes against humanity, abuse of power and faulting international instruments forced some major development partners to suspend diplomatic ties with Uganda during the Idi Amin Dada era.
Therefore, the EU is in pain trying to save Uganda from returning to her past and simultaneously seeking accountability for European taxes spent on foreign missions.
On the basis of maintaining healthy diplomatic ties, Uganda’s leadership has to undertake honest soul-searching to rectify its undemocratic tendencies and human denigrations.
I welcome the European Union’s efforts as a gesture of protecting human dignity, electional integrity, universal human rights, meaningful democracy and good governance among partner states.
Robert Kigongo is a sustainable development analyst and a defender of human rights.