More Ugandans support military rule – New report

A new study has revealed a considerable softening in Ugandans’ resistance to authoritarian forms of government. 

While democracy continues to enjoy broad rhetorical support, public commitment to its core principles appears to be weakening. 

The survey by Afrobarometer published on December 23rd shows that only 83% of Ugandans support choosing leaders through regular and honest elections, a figure that, while still high, represents a notable decline compared with previous surveys. 

At the same time, opposition to non-democratic systems such as military rule, one-person rule and one-party governance has fallen since 2022, suggesting a gradual erosion of democratic norms.

The study found a growing number of Ugandans who are not opposed to the idea of “the army coming in to govern the country” as well as the “abolition of elections and parliament so that the president can decide everything.”

According to the report, the number of Ugandans who reject one person rule has dropped from 94% in 2022 to 86% this year.

Those opposed to military rule have dropped from 87% to 75% in the same time frame.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents still describe democracy as the best form of government. 

However, only about half believe that Uganda currently functions as a democracy, highlighting a growing gap between democratic ideals and lived political experience.

Uganda’s ambivalent attitudes towards governance are rooted in its political history. Post-independence optimism quickly gave way to decades of coups, autocracy and civil conflict. 

Although the National Resistance Movement came to power in 1986 promising democratic renewal, its early “no-party” system restricted political competition. 

Subsequent reforms, including the 1995 Constitution and the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 2005, raised hopes of democratic consolidation.

Yet these gains have been undermined by the removal of presidential term and age limits, allowing President Yoweri Museveni to extend his rule. 

International democracy indices now classify Uganda as an electoral autocracy, reinforcing public scepticism about the effectiveness of democratic institutions.

The survey paints a mixed picture of civil liberties. Large majorities say they are free to speak their minds, join political organisations and vote without pressure. 

However, fewer citizens believe the media operates without restriction. Taken together, the findings suggest that while formal freedoms persist, declining opposition to authoritarian alternatives may reflect frustration with unfulfilled democratic promises rather than outright rejection of democracy itself.