Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the outcome of the Presidential election held in Uganda on 16 January.

Voting in Uganda's Presidential election concluded on 14 January and we note the re-election of President Museveni. However, significant concerns remain unaddressed including the treatment of opposition candidates in the runup to and since the elections, and the internet shutdown during the elections. These restrictions on opposition activity do not provide for an open political landscape, within which democracy can flourish. We deployed 51 Election Observers across Uganda on election day. They observed and evaluated the elections and reported back to our High Commission in Kampala. We have been consulting with the diplomatic community in Kampala, 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 also urged the Government of Uganda to respond to the concerns raised. The Minister for Africa set out in a statement our concerns about the overall political climate surrounding the elections and has urged the Government of Uganda to meet its international human rights commitments. The treatment of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi is unacceptable and the Minister for Africa expressed his concerns about this in his tweet on 19 January. Political freedoms are vital for democracy to prevail and the UK will continue to make representations on this issue to the Ugandan authorities.