PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Uganda: Politics and Government (28 June 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Ugandan counterpart on attacks on (a) freedom of speech and (b) opposition politicians in that country.

Asked by:
Feryal Clark (Labour)

The UK Government is concerned about restrictions placed on freedom of expression, and over the treatment of opposition candidates and their supporters in the run-up to and since the Ugandan elections. Following the unacceptable constraints placed on the opposition candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, the British High Commission in Kampala pressed the Ugandan authorities to remove restrictions on his political freedoms.

In my statement after the elections, I urged the Government of Uganda to meet its human rights commitments and to respect the right of freedom of speech for all Ugandans. I also raised my concerns over the treatment of the opposition, including the reports of missing persons and arbitrary detention, with the then Ugandan Foreign Minister, Sam Kutesa, on 21 April 2021 and with the Ugandan High Commissioner on 16 June. I urged the Government of Uganda to solve these issues swiftly.

The UK, along with 17 members of the Media Freedom Coalition, issued a statement in the week of the elections expressing concern about the situation for journalists and media freedom in Uganda. We called for the Ugandan authorities to investigate attacks on the press and hold those responsible to account, ensuring that journalists are provided with the necessary protections, accreditation, and access that they need to do their jobs. As a long-standing partner to Uganda, the UK will continue to press for the rights of all Ugandans to be upheld.

Answered by:
Sir James Duddridge (Conservative)
5 July 2021