Uganda on Monday banned live broadcasts of riots, unlawful processions, and other violent incidents ahead of an election.

The Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology announced the ban in a statement in Kampala.

It stated, “Live broadcast or streaming of riots, unlawful processions, or violent incidents is prohibited, as it can escalate tension and spread panic.”

The ministry also prohibited the dissemination of any content it described as “inciting, hateful, or violent.”

Authorities have detained hundreds of opposition supporters ahead of the January 15 election, in which President Yoweri Museveni is seeking to extend his 40-year rule against the 43-year-old pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine.

More than 50 people were killed before the last election in 2021 in crackdowns by security forces against Mr Wine’s supporters, who accused Mr Museveni of stealing the election, which he denied.

Mr Museveni, who came to power in 1986 after leading a five-year rebellion, is Africa’s third-longest ruler.

Critics and rights groups have long accused his government’s security forces of torturing and intimidating opponents to maintain his grip on power, allegations he has denied.

Rights group Amnesty International said on Monday that Ugandan security forces had launched “a brutal campaign of repression against Wine’s supporters in the run-up to the election, subjecting them to arbitrary arrests, beatings, and torture.”

Spokespeople for the government and police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the statement.

Meanwhile, another major opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, has been in prison for more than a year after he was detained on treason charges, which he also denied.

(Reuters/NAN)