Security was heightened across Mityana District on Monday morning as National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, launched his campaign tour in the Buganda region, ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The main rally, scheduled to take place at Busuubizi Playground has is still drawing alot of supporters, but has also triggered a significant deployment of security forces in and around the town.
By dawn, heavily armed police and army personnel had sealed off major access roads, while armored vehicles and plain-clothed operatives were stationed at strategic locations.
Authorities described the deployment as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order. However, NUP leaders criticized the security presence, calling it excessive and politically motivated.
“Every time our president plans to meet his supporters, security turns the district into a barracks,” said Francis Zaake, MP for Mityana Municipality.
“Mityana has always been peaceful. This over-deployment is unnecessary and intimidating.”
Despite the security clampdown, NUP supporters turned out in significant numbers, waving party flags and chanting slogans.
Some claimed they were being blocked from accessing the rally venue, although police maintained that access was being regulated to avoid overcrowding.
The Buganda sub-region is considered a key political battleground, and Mityana, in particular, holds symbolic weight for the opposition. In the 2021 presidential election,
Kyagulanyi garnered 64.78% of the vote in Mityana District, securing 72,955 votes out of 176,029 registered voters, according to Electoral Commission data — one of his strongest performances nationally.
As the 2026 elections approach, Kyagulanyi’s tour of Buganda is expected to focus on consolidating his base while energizing supporters in the central region.
