Activist arrested for criticising the president

Kakwenza Rukirabashaija is a Ugandan author and law student popularly known for his new book, "Greedy Barbarians”, that criticizes President Yoweri Museveni and his family. He has also authored an opinion piece titled “Uganda perhaps needs own brand of democracy called 'Musevenocrazy'”. In this piece he wrote that President Museveni is the worst president that Uganda has ever had. 

He is also a political activist linked to the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party and is lined up to stand for the Member of Parliament seat for Rubabo Constituency in the next general election.

He has also been documenting cases of police killings and brutality during the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown in Uganda.

The Government of Uganda has previously used repressive laws such as the Computer Misuse Act 2011 and practices such as arbitrary arrest and detention to systematically harass, intimidate and stifle its critics. Many restrictions have been placed on the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly of political opposition members, journalists, human rights defenders, activists and students because they are perceived as a threat to the government.