Human rights activist and lawyer Aloikin Praise Opoloje was taken by force to an unknown detention centre from Namungoona Police Station in Kampala, Uganda. According to her friend Raus Ninsima, Opoloje had been summoned to the police station over a carpet theft complaint. The incident began when Opoloje collected her carpet from a car-washing and carpet-cleaning business near her home. A woman later claimed the carpet belonged to her, leading to a dispute over ownership.
Opoloje and Ninsima went to the police station with the disputed carpet, expecting to resolve the matter. However, upon arrival, events quickly took a different turn. Men identifying themselves as security operatives told Opoloje that she had been under surveillance. Ninsima said the situation became confusing, with officers directing them to different rooms. A man in a maroon shirt, who did not ask about the carpet, told them that security operatives had been tracking Opoloje and that she was to be taken to the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
Ninsima said Opoloje then realised the carpet complaint might not have been the reason she was summoned and began taking photographs of the man with her phone. An army officer emerged and attempted to stop Opoloje from recording, sparking a scuffle. Officers in army-green uniforms called in other operatives dressed in plain clothes. Outside the station, a van with a registration number UA875AG, locally described as a drone, was parked near the entrance with its engine running.
According to Ninsima, the operatives dragged and pushed Opoloje into the van and disappeared. When Ninsima tried to intervene, she was put at gunpoint and later asked to leave the police station. One of the officers at the reception told her that Opoloje would be taken to Entebbe Police Station, where they allegedly handle "indisciplined people of her calibre."
The reported incident occurred hours after Opoloje had recorded and widely shared a video criticising Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces. The circumstances of her disappearance have triggered concern among lawyers and human rights activists. The Uganda Law Society has called for her immediate release, while lawyers and civil society actors have demanded that authorities account for her detention.
Opoloje has previously been involved in civic and human rights activism. She was among activists arrested during anti-corruption protests in 2024 and later granted bail; the case against her and two others was eventually dismissed in 2025 after repeated failure by the prosecution to produce witnesses.
As of press time, Opoloje's whereabouts remained unknown, and police and defence authorities had not publicly confirmed her detention location or legal status. The incident has raised fresh questions about the treatment of civic activists and the circumstances under which people are summoned to police stations and subsequently taken away by security personnel.
Key points
- Human rights activist Aloikin Praise Opoloje was taken by force to an unknown detention centre from Namungoona Police Station.
- The incident occurred hours after Opoloje criticised Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, in a video.
- The Uganda Law Society has called for Opoloje's immediate release, citing concerns about her treatment and detention.
