Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the arrest of Joseph Kabuleta in Uganda on 28 November 2022 on (a) freedom of expression, (b) freedom of the press and (c) democratic processes in that country; and whether his Department has taken recent steps to help tackle misinformation about the ebola outbreak in that country.

The British High Commission in Uganda is closely following the arrest of Joseph Kabuleta, President of the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue. Kabuleta was initially detained for allegedly failing to respond to a police summons to provide a statement on allegations of promoting sectarianism. He has since been charged with that offence and is now seeking bail. The UK remains a steadfast advocate for a more open and vibrant civic space that offers freedom of expression for all Ugandans. This is essential to democratic progress and we regularly raise these issues with the Government of Uganda, both privately and publicly. The British High Commission has raised misinformation about the Ebola outbreak with the Government of Uganda and international partners, and has provided £900,000 to UNICEF to help strengthen engagement with communities on the Ebola response, including by community health workers, traditional healers and local leaders.