Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Wednesday, 20 January 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 February 2021. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Wednesday, 3 February 2021 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Uganda: Elections

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Africa on 16 January about the presidential elections in Uganda, what practical assistance they are offering to ensure that concerns about the political climate and the electoral process in Uganda are investigated and resolved appropriately; and what representations they have made to the government of Uganda about the need for that government to meet its international human rights commitments.

Answer: Our High Commission in Kampala has been consulting with the diplomatic community, civil society actors, other international observers, and the Government of Uganda, to ensure we have a comprehensive and accurate picture of the elections. We deployed 51 Election Observers across Uganda on election day, covering over 120 polling stations. Following analysis from the observer missions, we have raised our concerns with the appropriate authorities. Through our lobbying, including at senior levels of government and through our public messaging, we continue to urge the Government of Uganda to respond to any concerns raised and to meet their international human rights commitments. The treatment of opposition figures post-election, including Robert Kyagulanyi, has been unacceptable and the Minister for Africa expressed his concerns about this in his tweet on 19 January. The Minister for Africa welcomes the High Court of Uganda's decision of 25 January that the detention of Robert Kyagulanyi was unconstitutional and unlawful and that these restrictions are now lifted. This is a positive step towards removing the restrictions on political freedoms of Kyagulanyi and the UK will continue to raise these issues with the Government of Uganda

Secondary information