Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Uganda on (a) the arrest of opposition party leaders, (b) alleged vote rigging and (c) the ensuing violence in that country.

I spoke to Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa on 12 January, ahead of the elections in Uganda on 14 January, to express the importance of British officials being accredited as observers. We deployed 51 Election Observers across Uganda on election day we have 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 have urged the Government of Uganda to respond to the concerns raised on the overall political climate surrounding the elections, which I set out in my statement of 17 January. The treatment of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi is unacceptable and I publicly expressed my concerns about this in my tweet of 19 January. Our High Commissioner in Kampala pressed this issue with the Ugandan authorities and I welcome the High Court of Uganda's decision of 25 January that the detention of Robert Kyagulanyi was unconstitutional and unlawful and that these restrictions have been lifted. The British High Commission Kampala pressed the Ugandan authorities to end these unacceptable restrictions on his liberty. Our High Commissioner in Kampala continues to meet political actors from all parties and met Robert Kyagulanyi on 27 January 2021. The High Commissioner urged Kyagulanyi and all parties to reject violence, engage in peaceful dialogue and follow due process to address any electoral irregularities.