Editorial - Silence, Power and Democracy: Lessons from Uganda and the World.

Sometimes, silence says more than words ever could. Whether it’s a government staying quiet in an international crisis or citizens being silenced at home, what isn’t said often reveals the balance of power, control, and fear. Recent events from the contested Uganda presidential election to tensions involving the USA, Venezuela, and Greenland, show how both silence and speech are tools in politics, and how democracy can be fragile when voices are suppressed.

Uganda’s recent Presidential election, January 2026 is a striking example. President Yoweri Museveni, in power for over 40 years, won a seventh term, even as millions of citizens hoped for real change. Opposition leader Bobi Wine called the results “fake,” citing ballot irregularities, voter intimidation, and arrests, while an internet blackout blocked independent reporting. Heavy security presence created fear, making participation difficult. On paper, there was an election, but in practice, democracy struggled to breathe.

This highlights a broader democratic challenge in Africa as holding elections alone does not make a country democratic. To truly consolidate democracy, citizens need fair competition, civil liberties, and independent institutions. When these are missing, long-term leaders can stay in power while appearing legitimate. Uganda shows how entrenched incumbency, silenced opposition, and restricted freedoms slow real political change, leaving young people frustrated and disconnected from the system.

Globally, silence is also strategic. The USA sometimes withholds public statements to manage sensitive international issues without escalating tensions. In Venezuela, neutrality helps countries avoid sanctions or involvement in proxy conflicts. In Greenland, countries stay quiet while making subtle moves over Arctic resources. Silence here is not apathy, it is a calculated tool to protect interests and navigate complex power dynamics.

But silence has a cost. In Uganda, people feel silenced and powerless. Globally, ambiguity can be misread as complicity or weakness. In both cases, generations, whether young voters in Uganda or citizens watching global crises demand clarity, accountability, and real influence.

The lesson is simple: silence and power are intertwined, but democracy and credibility need voices. Elections, negotiations, or cautious diplomacy alone cannot build trust. Whether at home or abroad, systems that ignore transparency, competition, and accountability risk losing legitimacy. Real change comes when the people and states that govern are heard, respected, and challenged.