Today Wedenesday, 23 May, 2024 Uganda Police used teargas to prevent the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) President, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu also known as Bobi Wine, from entering Kamuli District.
The opposition figure planned to hold a rally as part of his nationwide mobilisation tour for the 2026 general elections.
Security forces intercepted Bobi Wine’s convoy at Buwolero village in Buwenge Sub County, Jinja District, and dispersed supporters following him.
Bobi Wine had set off for Kamuli from NUP party headquarters in Makerere Kavule, Kampala, in company of party Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, Deputy President for northern Uganda, Dr Lina Zedriga, Mityana Municipality MP, Francis Zaake among other party leaders.
Before embarking on the journey, Bobi Wine told journalists that the mobilisation tour was legal, and they did not anticipate any police interference since no formal notice was issued by the police to halt their activities.
“We know that everything we are doing is within the law just like other political parties. We have seen other political parties moving. So, we believe that as long as we are doing everything within the law, there is no problem, and we believe police will not break the law,” he said.
Nonetheless, riot police repeatedly tear-gassed his convoy in multiple towns to disperse his supporters.
Police intervention
At the Nile bridge in Jinja, police halted Kyagulanyi and his large group of supporters. A standoff followed, which ended when police used teargas to disperse the crowd.
Kyagulanyi was allowed through the bridge without crowds of his supporters.
He, however, was not allowed to reach the venue in Kamuli as police blocked the road with its truck, forcing him to make a u-turn.
The former presidential candidate condemned the police actions, and noted that despite the disruptions, his supporters exercised maximum restraint and never turned violent.
“We were stopped twice, tear gassed and bullets were fired at us. We did not respond with violence. I also want to take this opportunity to encourage all our supporters and members to keep peace, to keep discipline. Let the police and military embarrass themselves. Don’t return violence. Let us show the difference between the peaceful ones and the violent ones,” he said.
The incident evoked memories of the 2021 election violence in which dozens lost their lives in clashes with security forces.
It also raises the prospect of a protracted conflict between NUP and armed forces as the country prepares for the 2026 presidential election.
Police speak out
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga on Monday said the law enforcement agency had not given a greenlight to NUP nationwide mobilisation exercise.
Police say Bobi moves with large crowds of supporters, disrupting traffic and bringing business to a standstill.
“We had prior credible intelligence that the National Unity Platform members had planned a mobilisation tour in Kamuli municipality,” said Mike Kasadha, Police’s Busoga North spokesperson.
“As they were waiting for the expected guests, a group of people attempted to carry out illegal démonstrations which prompted us to disperse them and eventually arrested the ten suspects which restored order,” he observed.
Kasadha said NUP mobilisation activities were suspended over non-adherence to set guidelines, which led to “public disorder, traffic disruption, loss of business, malicious damage to property, and dangerous driving causing death and injuries, among others.”
The Leader of Opposition in Parliament and Nakawa West MP, Joel Ssenyonyi accused security forces of double standards.
“We saw Muhoozi moving around, and for him it is illegal because he is a serving military officer, our colleagues in other political parties are moving around, and that is the way it should be. Why is it that the State is so afraid of NUP?” Ssenyonyi asked.
Kasadha said as the NUP leadership “defiantly went on mobilising and leading processions on the way to Kamuli, their leader, Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi; Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, Leader of opposition in Parliament, Hon. Shamim Malende, Kampala Woman Member of parliament and a rowdy disorderly crowd were intercepted and dispersed proportionately between the border of Kamuli and Jinja district before they turned and went back.”
He further said the “suspension of mobilisation activities, continues until when the NUP leadership comply with the police guidelines.”
Police arrested 10 suspects over inciting violence.
“These were part of the team that had defiantly organised the political activity,” said Kasadha.