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Why Bobi Wine wants Uganda suspended from Commonwealth
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine.
An international law firm representing Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, has petitioned the Commonwealth Secretariat, urging it to take action against Uganda over alleged post-election human rights violations.
In a statement released in London, Amsterdam & Partners LLP said it had submitted a formal dossier requesting that Uganda be referred to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG). The firm cited what it described as serious and persistent breaches of the Commonwealth Charter and the Harare Declaration.
Adopted in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1991, the declaration emphasised fundamental principles such as liberty under the law, equal rights for all citizens regardless of gender, race, colour, creed or political belief, and the inalienable right to participate in free and democratic political processes.
Incidentally, Zimbabwe itself was once suspended for breaching the Declaration in 2002 before quitting the Club in 2003. The Commonwealth is mostly comprised of Britain and former colonies although other countries like Rwanda, Mozambique, Togo and Gabon have since joined it.
Robert Amsterdam, the lead partner at the firm, is an international lawyer specialising in political advocacy and human rights. He also serves as Mr Kyagulanyi’s international counsel. The lawyers said Uganda’s general election of 15 January 2026 and its aftermath were marked by mass arrests, the use of force against civilians, restrictions on communications, and sustained pressure on opposition figures.
Several members and supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) were arrested as the country prepared for the polls in which Mr Kyagulanyi was a candidate. Many, including senior leaders, were detained in raids at party headquarters or at roadblocks as the presidential candidate campaigned. They were charged with offences such as inciting violence, while the party’s deputy presidents for various regions were arrested just before the election. Last month, more than 100 supporters were charged with unlawful assembly, conspiracy and related offences, although the party insists they were polling agents.
There are also reports that hundreds were detained after the elections in what the military has described as post-election unrest. The army maintains that arrests were carried out on the basis of violations of Ugandan law and were not politically motivated.
The lawyers argue that these developments raise concerns about Uganda’s adherence to its constitutional obligations and international commitments as a Commonwealth member state. They also allege that Uganda may be in violation of international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
A key issue highlighted in the submission is what they described as public threats made against Mr Kyagulanyi by Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces. Using the X platform, Gen Muhoozi posted that the army had killed 22 supporters of Mr Kyagulanyi, whom he referred to as terrorists, adding that Kyagulanyi himself would be next. Responding on the same platform, Mr Kyagulanyi said the army had invaded his home.
“As Museveni’s son was making these threats to kill me and gloating over killing 22 of our supporters, the military stationed inside our compound yet again banged on my house doors while shouting profanities. We demand that the military vacate our home immediately. My wife and people are not safe.”
The military has denied occupying Mr Kyagulanyi’s home, although he insists they remain there as of Wednesday. He has not been seen in public since the elections, in which he polled 2.7 million votes against President Museveni’s 7.9 million in an eight-man race.
Amsterdam argues that statements calling for harm against the opposition leader, if not publicly repudiated, constitute a credible threat and place a duty on the state to ensure protection under both domestic and international law.
“Uganda is in open breach of Commonwealth principles, and responsibility lies at the highest levels when senior security officials issue public threats against political opponents,” Mr Amsterdam said.
He called on the Commonwealth to urgently engage CMAG, dispatch a fact-finding mission, and consider measures such as targeted sanctions and the possible indefinite suspension of Uganda from the organisation until compliance with the rule of law is restored.
Uganda’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Adonia Ayebare, dismissed the call for suspension, saying it would not succeed because Uganda is not a failed state but a peaceful one, with institutions capable of handling emerging issues.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam and another US citizen, human rights activist Jeffrey Smith, have been declared persona non grata in Uganda over alleged subversive activities. They are accused of sabotaging Uganda’s international interests and promoting subversive groups.
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