Uganda’s Legacy of Impunity: An Empire of Torture, Extrajudicial Killings, and the Rise of Muhoozi’s Digital Autocracy
A Trail of Blood: Documented Cases of State Violence The November 2020 Kampala protests saw the police and army gun down at least 54 civilians in cold blood, under the guise of "restoring order" after the arrest of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine. These were not isolated incidents. Human rights organizations documented systematic targeting of opposition supporters, including the brutal torture of novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija and NUP coordinators such as Eddie Mutwe. Despite cries for justice, the perpetrators not only walk free—they boast publicly.
Uganda Today Edition: Uganda’s Legacy of Impunity: An Empire of Torture, Extrajudicial Killings, and the Rise of Muhoozi’s Digital Autocracy
By: Uganda Today Investigative Desk
Published: May 16, 2025
Introduction
Over four decades of uninterrupted rule, President Yoweri Museveni’s regime has not only solidified its grip on power through military dominance and legislative manipulation but also cultivated an ecosystem of impunity where extrajudicial killings, abductions, and torture are not just frequent—they are state-sanctioned.
From the tragic assassination of Yasin Kawuma in 2018, the brutal killing of Rita Nabukenya under a police patrol vehicle, to the death of Francis Senteza—each case contributes to a chilling dossier of Uganda’s state-sponsored violence. Yet what is perhaps most damning is the audacious public endorsement of such abuses by high-ranking military officers, including Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the First Son and de facto enforcer of Museveni’s will.
A Trail of Blood: Documented Cases of State Violence
The November 2020 Kampala protests saw the police and army gun down at least 54 civilians in cold blood, under the guise of “restoring order” after the arrest of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine. These were not isolated incidents. Human rights organizations documented systematic targeting of opposition supporters, including the brutal torture of novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija and NUP coordinators such as Eddie Mutwe.
Despite cries for justice, the perpetrators not only walk free—they boast publicly.
Muhoozi’s Digital Tyranny: Twitter as a Weapon of Fear
As the First Son and a serving army officer, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has obliterated constitutional lines by becoming the regime’s most unapologetic political mouthpiece. His Twitter account, now infamous for incendiary, violent, and deeply partisan rhetoric, has become a platform for open threats.
Among his most shocking statements:
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“I will behead Kabobi.”
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“I will hang Dr. Besigye.”
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“I will cut off the head of Ssemujju Nganda.”
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“Who told Kabobi that the revolutionary NRM can be defeated? I will discipline NUP; they will really suffer.”
These are not mere words—they are political signals. In any functioning democracy, such utterances by a military officer would spark immediate investigations and possible treason charges. In Uganda, they trend online, retweeted by regime loyalists and shrugged off by institutions.
A Parliament Ridiculed
When Parliament summoned Muhoozi to explain the growing list of abductions and enforced disappearances, he derided the institution with contempt, calling MPs “clowns who should come to me crawling.” A clear affront to parliamentary authority, this moment revealed the erosion of institutional checks and balances under the shadow of military arrogance.
Kira Municipality MP Ssemujju Nganda, raising a procedural matter, implored the Speaker to check Muhoozi’s conduct. “Everyone is a victim of Muhoozi,” he declared. Yet Speaker Anita Among nonchalantly responded, “I am not,” brushing aside the grave concern.
Denigrating the Uganda Human Rights Commission
Muhoozi’s disdain for oversight reached a new low when he described a formal letter from the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) as “stupid” and demanded an apology from the Chairperson, Mariam Wangadya. In a republic where human rights are constitutionally enshrined, such defilement of an independent commission by a serving general should have caused a constitutional crisis. Instead, it was met with deafening silence.
A Nation Responds: The Viral Outcry
In the video embedded below, a Ugandan citizen unleashes an emotionally charged monologue that captures the collective frustration of a nation. His words—raw, unfiltered, and impassioned—lay bare the psychological toll of living under a regime where silence is survival, and speaking out could mean death.
A Ugandan citizen reacts to growing state impunity.
Conclusion: A Dictatorship in Digital Camouflage
What Uganda faces today is not merely a dictatorship, but a digitized monarchy where power is centralized in a single family and weaponized through military force and social media threats. Gen. Muhoozi’s tweets are not anomalies—they are policy statements, unconstrained by law, emboldened by blood, and broadcast to millions.
The silence of Parliament, the paralysis of the judiciary, and the muted voice of the UHRC all point to one truth: impunity is no longer a hidden vice in Uganda—it is the operating principle.
Author’s Note:
This article is written in solidarity with all victims of state violence, and with a firm belief in the role of journalism as a bulwark against tyranny.
Published by www.ugandatoday.co.ug, your trusted source for news and analysis
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