Uganda News

Uganda has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in the capital city of Kampala, marking its ninth outbreak since 2000. The first case, a male nurse at the Mulago National Referral Hospital, died on January 29, 2024. According to the health ministry, he initially sought treatment for fever-like symptoms at various healthcare facilities and with traditional healers before succumbing to multi-organ failure. Post-mortem samples confirmed the presence of the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus. Following the death, authorities have initiated contact tracing for 44 individuals, including 30 health workers who may have been exposed. However, contact tracing poses challenges in the densely populated city of over 4 million residents. The World Health Organization has allocated $1 million from its emergency funds to assist Uganda in its response, while authorities plan to vaccinate all contacts of the deceased, despite the absence of an approved vaccine for the Sudan strain. Uganda previously experienced an outbreak in late 2022, which resulted in 55 fatalities out of 143 reported cases.

Eron Kiiza, a human rights lawyer representing Ugandan opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye, has been arrested and reportedly tortured following his detention by military personnel on January 7. Kiiza was entering a military courtroom to advocate for Besigye and his aide Haji Obeid Lutale when he was seized, subsequently convicted of contempt of court, and sentenced to nine months in prison on the same day. Reports from colleagues state that Kiiza displayed visible signs of abuse, including severe swelling on various parts of his body. Legal representatives who visited him in Kitalya prison cited routine violence against arrested individuals as a common practice within the Ugandan military justice system. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned his sentencing and called for his immediate release, arguing that it violates Ugandan law and international human rights standards. In response, a spokesperson for the Ugandan armed forces dismissed the claims of torture as false, asserting that Kiiza's rights have not been infringed and his detention adheres to Ugandan legal provisions. The environment for lawyers in Uganda has sharply deteriorated, with colleagues expressing shock at the attacks on legal professionals amid increasing governmental repression as the nation approaches general elections. Dr. Kizza Besigye, who has been a prominent critic of President Yoweri Museveni's long-standing rule, faces serious charges that many say are politically motivated. This situation is part of a broader trend of escalating repression against opposition figures in Uganda.