Evidence&Methods Lab

We've released a full report on Uganda's 2026 elections titled 'The Silence Was the Strategy'. Based on 1,019 monitored records, it documents: - An internet shutdown that cut off over 76% of voters - 10+ Recorded deaths - Women party officials detained on election day. - A 70% collapse in election trust and more. Download a copy of the full report here lnkd.in/dZZCcMTk #WeShapeGov

@GodberTumushabe and @BarbsBirungi complete their terms on the EML Advisory Board after serving since our founding years. Godber served as our Chairperson and brought strategic direction and institutional grounding when we needed it most. He is someone who holds everyone around him to the highest standard — no matter how close the relationship. He gave EML its first assignment as an organisation, opened doors to partners and funders, and shaped our governance thinking. There are not many young civil society organisations in Uganda that have not gone through his hands. He has shaped the sector. Barbara gave EML its first physical home — incubating us at Hive Colab when we were just starting out. Her expertise in technology, innovation, and women’s empowerment pushed us to think bigger about who our tools serve and how they reach the people who need them. We are grateful to both of them, and to the partners and clients who supported EML’s work during their tenure on this board. #WeShapeGov #Gratitude #Leadership #CivicTech #EML

Welcome to the EML Advisory Board, @tawmug. Tawanda co-founded Digital Society of Africa, which has supported over 500 human rights defenders and 60+ organisations across six Southern African countries with digital security, risk assessments, and organisational resilience. He is a Ford Foundation Global Fellow, and Civic Space Fellow at Amnesty International. Tawanda has been advising EML informally, and his organisation has directly strengthened our digital security infrastructure. His perspective on digital threats, civic technology, and the Southern Africa regional operating environment strengthens our board as we scale across the continent. #WeShapeGov #DigitalSecurity #CivicTech #AdvisoryBoard #EML

Welcome to the EML Advisory Board, @SandyColiver. Sandra is a senior human rights lawyer with over three decades of experience in freedom of expression, access to information, and civic space protection. She coordinated the drafting of the Tshwane Principles on National Security and the Right to Information, served as Senior Managing Legal Officer at the Open Society Justice Initiative, and has taught at Columbia University and UC Berkeley Law School. Sandra has been supporting EML’s work — facilitating introductions and connection to strategic networks. We are glad to formalise what has already been a productive relationship. #WeShapeGov #HumanRights #CivicSpace #AdvisoryBoard #EML

New Board Appointments for @evidence_method On behalf of management of Evidence And Methods, I wish to inform partners, friends and the general public of the changes made to our Advisory Board. @GodberTumushabe, who has been our board chair, and @BarbsBirungi both complete their terms. @TamaleLillian has succeeded Godber as Chairperson, with @SandyColiver and @tawmug joining our continuing members @edgarkuhimbisa and @qataharraymond. EML exists to address a governance gap that defines the African continent. Africa holds 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, more than 60% of its uncultivated arable land, and 1.4 billion people with a median age of 19. Despite this great potential, studies, including our own, have found that governance quality has declined across much of the continent over the past decade, and fewer than one in three Africans lives in a country where it is improving. The distance between what this continent has and what most of its citizens experience comes down to systems that do not respond to the people they serve. At the community level, a person is detained for days without seeing a magistrate because they do not know how to invoke their constitutional rights. A mother is turned away from a government health facility without medicines — a pattern our surveys found affecting 70% of patients in target communities, even where district budgets show the allocation was made. When citizens have no practical way to hold institutions to account, institutions have no reason to listen. Over the past nine years, we have reached over five million citizens across multiple African countries (with concentration in Uganda), building tools and evidence systems that address this gap — civic feedback platforms, budget transparency and civic education initiatives that translate legal provisions into language communities can use. We are now building to be operational in at least 8 countries across 3 African regions by 2028, through local civil society partnerships rather than country offices, because closing this governance gap requires African-led organizations working at scale with tools tested in the hardest environments. Godber opened doors to our earliest partners and funders, steered our strategic direction during years when the organization was mostly an idea, anchored us into civil society while opening opportunities in the public sector, and held us to standards we had not yet earned — he did not make exceptions for our proximity to him as friends. Barbara gave us our first home at Hive Colab and brought a technology and innovation lens that shaped how we think about reaching citizens at scale, particularly women and young people often excluded from civic processes. We are grateful to both of them, and to the partners and clients who trusted EML during this board’s tenure. The advisory board we have put together carries the expertise, networks, and continental reach that the next phase of this work demands. I wish to thank and congratulate Godber and Barbara for serving us selflessly and to welcome the new members, Tawanda and Sandra to this adventure! Michael Katagaya Team Leader A copy of the press release can be found here: shorturl.at/yt8MI

We are pleased to announce the reconstitution of our Advisory Board. @TamaleLillian takes over as Chairperson. @SandyColiver and @tawmug join as new members alongside continuing members @edgarkuhimbisa and @qataharraymond. @mkatagaya and @hkiragga continue to serve as ex-officio members. This reconstitution reflects where EML is headed. Over eight years, we have delivered over 65 projects across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, and Botswana, reaching over five million citizens. Our new strategy is about working more deliberately across the continent — with the ambition to be operational in at least 8 countries across 3 regions by 2028. The Advisory Board we announce today will guide that journey. Godber Tumushabe and Barbara Birungi complete their terms on the board after serving since our founding years. Godber’s leadership as Chairperson gave us strategic direction and institutional grounding during a formative period. Barbara’s expertise in technology, innovation, and women’s empowerment shaped our thinking and widened our networks. We are grateful for what they gave this organisation. We also thank the partners and clients who have supported our work during the tenure of this board — your trust has been foundational to our growth. More at shorturl.at/yt8MI #WeShapeGov #Governance #CivicTech #AdvisoryBoard

Living through political division changes how you see people, power, and hope. Some conversations remind us that democracy is not only shaped in parliaments or elections, but also in the everyday experiences of people trying to make sense of conflict, disagreement, and uncertainty. Watch Jesús Armas speak about this and more in our latest hashtag#WeShapeGov podcast: youtube.com/watch?v=gWpj_j…

Phase Two is already in motion, and we’re grateful to @cipesaug, our co-implementing partners, and our funders — @EUinUG, @GovUganda, and @EnabelinUganda for making this work possible.

Here is what Phase One looked like for us. We reached over 2.3 million people across Uganda, through television, social media, digital billboards in Kampala, and on-the-ground activations. We hosted a Digital Literacy Webinar for 105 small and medium enterprise owners, launched an AI-powered chatbot on WhatsApp, giving businesses real-time guidance on cybersecurity and data rights.

On 7th May 2026, we joined @cipesaug at a High-Level Stakeholder Dialogue on Advancing Digital Rights by Businesses in Uganda. As one of the implementing partners on the Advancing Respect for Human Rights by Business (ARBHR) project, we have spent the past months making digital rights practical and accessible for Ugandan businesses.

"Change doesn’t happen when people stay silent, it happens when they raise their voices and challenge the system." Jesús Armas tells us about how the fight for democracy is never easy, but it’s always worth it. Watch episode 4 of the #WeShapeGov podcast to understand how every action counts in shaping the future: youtu.be/gWpj_jgLUmQ

A 13% shift in election results is not just about votes. It is also about the environment in which people voted. Internet shutdowns, arrests, broadcast restrictions, and reduced election monitoring affected how citizens accessed information, communicated, and participated during the election period. What do these changes mean for democracy, participation, and public trust in Uganda? Join the conversation and explore the findings. Read more here: shorturl.at/1q066 #WeShapeGov #UgandaDecides2026 #CivicEngagement #PublicParticipation

Disinformation spreads fast when people cannot easily verify information. During the January 2026 election period, false information spread quickly, was repeated widely, many people believed it, and was later used to influence public opinion before accurate information could be shared. Read more here: shorturl.at/1q066 #WeShapeGov #UgandaDecides2026 #CivicEngagement #PublicParticipation

“In moments like this, you realize the fight doesn’t end when you walk out, it just changes.” @jesusarmasccs , a Venezuelan, speaks about democracy and more in Episode 4 of the hashtag#WeShapeGov podcast. Watch it here: lnkd.in/dhEjNCRs

Yesterday’s High-Level Stakeholder Dialogue with CIPESA builds on this momentum, bringing key voices together to reflect, align, and shape what comes next. As we move into Phase II, we’re looking to deepen impact, strengthen digital rights awareness, and ensure businesses and citizens are better equipped in an evolving digital space. #DigitalRightsUG #CIPESA #WeShapeGov #DataProtection #Uganda

He was arrested, imprisoned, and the moment he was released, he never stopped working. @mkatagaya sits with @jesusarmasccs, a Venezuelan political activist, Obama Scholar, and founder of the think tank Ciudadanía sin Límites, for an honest conversation about what it costs to fight for democracy and why he's still standing. Episode 4 of #WeShapeGov is out. Watch now. youtu.be/gWpj_jgLUmQ

Your voice matters in this conversation. The Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026 raises important questions that affect people and organisations across Uganda. Sharing your perspective helps build a clearer, more inclusive understanding of what people think. If you’ve already taken part, thank you. If not, take a few minutes to add your view. Take the survey here: tinyurl.com/3cj3xa9p #WeShapeGov #CivicEngagement #PublicParticipation #Uganda #SovereigntyBill2026

We spent months gathering feedback and following the 2026 Uganda Elections. A timeline of events highlights key moments, including the internet shutdown and voting delays, among many others. Our post-election report, The Silence was the Strategy captures what happened. Read more here: shorturl.at/1q066 #WeShapeGov #UgandaDecides2026 #CivicEngagement #PublicParticipation