Uganda’s Rights Regime Faltering

22 May 2011

editorial

Few things in the past two decades have tested the resilience of Uganda’s rights regime as much as the events of the past few weeks. From the time the opposition launched their ‘Walk-to-Work’ campaign just over a month ago, the three arms of the state have been on trial as long established tradition and practices were tossed overboard in the expedience of the moment.

The immediate victims have been the due process of law, basic rights and the media that the executive now perceives as obstacles in its efforts to maintain law and order. The questions hovering over the judiciary about its independence; the brazen attempts to scare media away from covering protests through deliberate targeting of journalists all beg questions over wither Uganda is headed.Adding insult to injury, President Museveni is proposing amendments to the Constitution to deny bail to suspects in certain cases such as rape and defilement as well as protestors.

Obviously, with such laws, Museveni will be well armed but to what end will this take the country apart from putting it on a circuit leading back to the very issues that gave legitimacy to the bloody five-year bush war that brought him to power in the first place?

AllAfrica – All the Time