A coalition of prominent Ugandan human rights lawyers and civil society activists has issued an urgent demand for the immediate and unconditional release of outspoken anti-corruption campaigner Praise Aloikin Opoloje, who was allegedly abducted by unidentified armed men over the weekend.
According to a joint legal statement released on Sunday, September 27, 2026, the 26-year-old activist was reportedly lured to Namungoona Police Station under the guise of addressing a routine matter. Upon arrival, however, she was allegedly handed over to armed operatives—suspected to be military intelligence—who forced her into a notorious “drone” van and drove her to an undisclosed location.
“We are gravely alarmed by the abduction of Praise Aloikin Opoloje yesterday,” the lawyers stated. The group described the transfer of a civilian from formal police custody to unidentified armed men as an “enforced disappearance”. They sharply criticized the police for failing to account for a citizen who had lawfully entered their precinct.
The legal team noted that no formal charges have been disclosed, and her family, lawyers, and medical personnel have been completely denied access to her.
The Trigger: Criticism of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba
Activists strongly link Opoloje’s sudden disappearance to a recent viral social media video in which she fiercely criticized the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and the conduct of his political vehicle, the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).
According to reports from the World Liberty Congress (WLC)—which also issued a statement condemning the abduction—Opoloje was reportedly told at the station that she was being taken away to be “disciplined” over her remarks about the military chief.
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Her legal team emphasized that criticizing government and military officials is fully protected under the constitutional right to freedom of expression, adding that she should not be criminally punished for voicing her political views.
Opoloje is no stranger to state intimidation. She rose to national prominence as a key organizer of the 2024 anti-corruption March to Parliament protests, which demanded the resignation of top government officials over graft. Her relentless civil liberties advocacy earned her the prestigious European Union Human Rights Defenders’ Award in 2025.
In their statement, the coalition of lawyers—which includes Eron Kiiza, Sarah Kasande, Anthony Odur, Yvonne Mpambara, Lillian A. Drabo, Peter Arinaitwe, and Phillip Karugaba—demanded that if Opoloje is in state custody, she must be transferred to a legally authorized detention facility and produced before a competent court within the constitutionally mandated 48 hours.
The group has formally called upon Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abas Byakagaba to publicly account for her whereabouts, while also urging the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Chairperson, Mariam Fauzat Wangadya, to urgently intervene.
Police spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke had not responded to the allegations by press time.
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