Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Ugandan counterpart; and if he will make a statement.

Following the arrest of Robert Kyagulanyi on 18 November 2020 which sparked violent protests in Uganda, I spoke to the Ugandan Foreign Minister, Sam Kutesa, on 26 November 2020 and raised the UK's concerns about the violence that took place. I sought reassurances that Ugandan security forces would show restraint and raised the importance of the rights of Ugandans to freely express their views. Ahead of the elections, I spoke to Foreign Minister Kutesa again on 12 January 2021 and expressed the importance of independent observation of the elections on 14 January.

Following the elections on 14 January 2021, I set out in a statement our concerns on 17 January 2021 about the overall political climate surrounding the elections and have urged the Government of Uganda to meet its international human rights commitments. The treatment of Robert Kyagulanyi has been unacceptable and I expressed my concerns about this in a tweet on 19 January 2021. I welcome the High Court of Uganda's decision of 25 January 2021 that the detention of Robert Kyagulanyi was unconstitutional and that these restrictions have been lifted. The British High Commission Kampala pressed the Ugandan authorities to end these unacceptable restrictions on his liberty. As a long-standing partner to Uganda, and a steadfast advocate for Ugandan democracy, the United Kingdom will continue to follow post-election developments closely.