
By Ben Musanje
Human rights activist Praise Aloikin Opoloje has broken her silence following her release from prison, declaring that she is not afraid of Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and challenging young Ugandans to fight for democracy, constitutionalism and human rights. Full Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7wCgD9_268
Aloikin, who was recently released on bail after spending more than two weeks at Luzira Women’s Prison, said her greatest fear was leaving behind a country where the next generation could not freely express its views without fearing arrest or intimidation.
“My fear is not Muhoozi. My fear is existing in a country 10 years from now where my daughter cannot speak her mind just because she knows that any minute later men will be knocking on her door to arrest her,” she said.
She made the remarks on Thursday during the 39th RNBLive2026 weekly hybrid press and public engagement at Uganda Law Society (ULS) House in Kampala, held under the theme, Is Uganda a Dynasty? Youth Voices on Political Succession.
Aloikin, a Ugandan human rights activist and external examiner at Vawulence Academy, thanked fellow activists and lawyers for the solidarity they showed during her detention, saying their pressure had contributed to her release.
“I also want to take this same breath to appreciate you for the solidarity that you showed me when I was abducted, when I was picked up,” she said.
She was granted bail by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court after being remanded on September 28 over allegations of using another person’s SIM card, contrary to Regulation 29 of the Regulation of Interception of Communications Regulations, 2024.
Chief Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko ordered her to deposit Shs500,000 in cash, while her sureties were required to execute non-cash bonds of Shs1 million each. The court also barred her from travelling outside Uganda without permission.
Prosecutors alleged that Aloikin used an MTN telephone line registered in the name of her mother, Martha Nalapa Tasima, to carry out an illegal activity in Rubaga and Kampala Central divisions in September. She denied the charge and is awaiting trial.
During her first public remarks since her release, Aloikin argued that Uganda’s political leadership should be judged on merit, ideology and the ability to address citizens’ problems rather than family connections.
She specifically challenged Gen. Muhoozi, the son of President Yoweri Museveni, to follow the constitutional process if he intends to become president.
“Muhoozi cannot be the president of this country solely because he’s the son of President Museveni. That alone is not enough for him,” she said.
Aloikin argued that any aspiring presidential candidate should leave military service and seek public support through a free and fair electoral process.
She also criticised what she described as the use of intimidation, abductions and political divisions to silence dissent, warning that the country risked worsening its governance challenges if these practices continued.
According to her, young Ugandans were more concerned about unemployment, rising fuel prices, the cost of education, taxation and limited economic opportunities than the political struggles of previous generations.
She said many families had sold land to educate their children, only for graduates to struggle to find employment, while some young Ugandans were travelling abroad in search of work under difficult conditions.
Aloikin called for leadership focused on economic development, functioning public institutions, access to justice and respect for human rights.
She further questioned the treatment of street vendors and other low-income earners, arguing that enforcement of urban policies without providing alternatives undermined the livelihoods of vulnerable citizens.
“Patriotism is coming from the very truth. Thinking about your country, hoping that your country is better, even when the circumstances are hard, even when what is on the line is your life,” she said.
Meanwhile, National Unity Platform (NUP) Head of Institutions Benjamin Akiso rejected claims that Uganda is a dynasty, insisting that the country is a republic whose leadership should be determined by citizens rather than family relationships.
Akiso, a former Kyambogo University guild president who said he had faced expulsion and repeated arrests over activism, called on Ugandans to defend their constitutional rights regardless of their political affiliations, ethnic backgrounds or institutional loyalties.
“Uganda is not a dynasty, but Uganda is a republic,” he said.
He argued that political competition should be based on ideas and allow all candidates a fair opportunity to campaign and convince voters.
Akiso also warned against the intimidation or imprisonment of political opponents, saying freedom and democracy required sustained civic engagement and sacrifice.
He identified unemployment, corruption, rising commodity prices, extortion and unequal access to government opportunities as challenges that should unite Ugandans across political divides.
The NUP official urged young people to build on the work of veteran opposition figures, including Dr. Kizza Besigye, former Kira Municipality legislature Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, Human Rights activist Miria Matembe and party president Robert Kyagulanyi, while taking greater responsibility for shaping the country’s future.
Both speakers called for greater political accountability and public participation, with Aloikin insisting that her generation would not be silenced by fear and Akiso maintaining that Uganda’s future should be determined through democratic competition rather than political succession within a family. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).








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