By Alexander Luyima

KAMPALA, Uganda – In a bold appeal to the international community, Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, the outspoken opposition leader popularly known as Bobi Wine, has called for an immediate halt to donor funding for Uganda’s government, citing systematic human rights violations, including abductions, torture, and state-sanctioned impunity.

Speaking exclusively to our reporter at his home in Magere, the National Unity Platform (NUP) president accused the Museveni regime of misusing foreign aid to finance repression rather than national development.

“The impunity in Uganda has reached unbearable levels,” Hon. Kyagulanyi declared. “Security forces abduct citizens in broad daylight, torture chambers operate without consequence, and the judiciary has been reduced to a puppet of the state. Yet this regime survives on the very funding provided by the international community—funding that should be helping Ugandans, not oppressing them.”

Donor Funds Diverted to Repression

Investigations by Transparency International Uganda and Global Witness reveal that millions of dollars in aid meant for healthcare, education, and poverty alleviation have instead been redirected to:

Arms purchases used to suppress dissent

Surveillance technology for monitoring activists and journalists

Off-the-books detention facilities where torture is routinely carried out

A 2024 report by the U.N. Human Rights Office documented over 500 cases of enforced disappearances in the past three years, with victims often linked to opposition groups. Meanwhile, leaked World Bank audit reports indicate that at least $200 million in development loans were improperly diverted to security-related expenditures in the last fiscal year alone.

“When European and American taxpayers’ money is used to buy tear gas, bullets, and surveillance drones that target innocent Ugandans, the donors become complicit in these crimes,” Hon. Kyagulanyi asserted.

Legal Battles and the Illusion of Justice

The NUP leader confirmed that his legal team has initiated proceedings against high-ranking officials, including General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for human rights violations. However, he expressed little faith in Uganda’s compromised judiciary.

“We are pursuing legal action not because we expect justice from these courts, but because we must expose the truth,” he said. “The Museveni family operates above the law, but history will judge them—and those who fund them.”

A Call to Action: Citizens and the International Community

With Uganda’s population now exceeding 48 million, Hon. Kyagulanyi urged mass mobilization against government abuses.

“This is not just a political fight—it is a moral one,” he emphasized. “If all Ugandans stand together, we can reclaim our nation. But the world must stop financing our oppression.”

Experts Weigh In: Time for Accountability?

Dr. Livingstone Sewanyana, Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI), supported the appeal.
“Donor nations must impose strict conditionalities on aid to Uganda. Funds should be frozen until independent audits prove they are not being used for repression,” he stated.

As pressure mounts, the question remains: Will the international community continue bankrolling a regime accused of atrocities—or will it finally heed the cries of Uganda’s oppressed?