CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, is seriously concerned over a decision by the Ugandan authorities to suspend the operations of five human rights organisations. These organisations have for years championed human rights and fundamental freedoms in Uganda. This crackdown aims to silence dissent and critics who defend human rights and good governance. Further to this, the Uganda Communications Commission imposed a total internet shutdown on 13 January, just days before the presidential and parliamentary elections.
On 9 January 2026, the Uganda National NGO Bureau, a government agency that regulates the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), suspended, with immediate effect, the operations of five local NGOs that advocate for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Uganda. The Bureau alleges that the organisations were involved in activities "prejudicial to the security and the laws of Uganda," in violation of Section 42(d) of the NGO Act Cap 109. The government of Uganda is obliged to protect and promote the rights of its citizens including creating an enabling environment for civil society organisations to operate by removing any undue restrictions on the right to freedom of association.
CIVICUS considers this a new low for human rights in a country that has continuously failed to respect fundamental freedoms and continues to silence civil society voices committed to defending human rights.
Background
Uganda’s National NGO Bureau has directed five major civil society organisations to immediately halt their operations. Those affected include Chapter Four Uganda, the Alliance for Election Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), the Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-U), the National NGO Forum and the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders.
The suspension of these organisations follows a series of attacks on civic actors, and marks the latest clash between the Ugandan government and civil society groups, raising fresh concerns about shrinking space for dissent and human rights advocacy in the country. It comes just weeks after Sarah Bireete of the Centre for Constitutional Governance was arrested and charged over allegations related to the unlawful acquisition and release of Electoral Commission ‘classified data’.
The NGO Bureau imposed these restrictions just 5 days before the presidential and parliamentary elections. This has been followed by a total internet shutdown ordered by the Uganda Communication Commission, which took effect on 13 January and remains in place until further notice.
Together, these actions reflect a recurring pattern by Ugandan authorities of restricting communication and arbitrarily targeting high profile critics and civic actors in the lead-up to elections, with the apparent aim of silencing dissent ahead of polling day. For example, on 22 December 2020, in the lead-up to the January 2021 elections, police arbitrarily arrested human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo, and three other lawyers in Kampala. They were later charged with money laundering, charges that were subsequently withdrawn.
CIVICUS calls on the government of President Yoweri Museveni to rescind the suspensions of these organisations, restore internet access, respect national and international human rights obligations, and create an enabling environment for all civil society organisation and human rights defenders.
The CIVICUS Monitor, an online platform that tracks threats to civil society in countries across the globe, rates civic space – the space for civil society – in Uganda as repressed.
