KAMPALA, Uganda  — A prominent Ugandan lawyer says a recent phone conversation with a friend was recorded and publicly shared by the military, highlighting concerns about government surveillance.
Gawaya Tegulle, in a column published Sunday, detailed how a recorded call between him and Dr. Patrick Wakida, a former opposition figure who recently joined the ruling party, was posted on social media by the acting defense spokesperson, Col. Chris Magezi.
Tegulle confirmed the authenticity of the nearly five-minute audio, which captured a seemingly innocuous conversation from Nov. 11, 2024. In the call, Tegulle said he congratulated Wakida on his move to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and recalled visiting his family.
While Tegulle stated he wasn’t surprised the call was recorded, noting that intelligence operatives had previously informed him his phones were tapped, he expressed surprise that it was made public. He said he and human rights activist Nana Annette Namata were aware of the surveillance and would often jokingly greet the security services during calls.
Tegulle suggested the military was attempting to create an issue out of a routine conversation.
He also recounted past interactions with security agencies, including a 2019 warning relayed by his late sister from a Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) officer, who claimed a dossier was being compiled against him and that he would be arrested upon making a mistake. This followed Tegulle’s legal challenges against the detention without trial and alleged torture of Rwandan nationals during a period of strained relations between Uganda and Rwanda. He said security forces suspected him of spying for Rwanda and monitored his meetings.
Tegulle also mentioned a 2020 or 2021 encounter with an Internal Security Organisation (ISO) operative who informed him of being deployed to gather information in his village. He noted that some of this information later appeared in a critical social media post by the military in response to his criticism of the armed forces.
Tegulle concluded his column with a warning to those in the public eye: “If you’re in the public space, beware of what you say on the phone; the government spies are listening.”
