Anxiety grips Uganda ahead of elections as security deployed and internet blackout looms

Ugandans are set to head to the polls on Thursday in the country’s general election. However, the atmosphere surrounding the vote remains tense and deeply troubling. Civil liberties have been severely, curtailed. Citizens have been denied the freedom to express themselves, to assemble, or to associate freely, as security forces appear to be increasingly involved in the country’s political process. Human rights activists warn that this is not an election but a systematic crackdown on fundamental freedoms and a fleeting democracy.