Deputy Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Rose Namayanja Nsereko, has defended the ruling party’s approach to rally mobilisation, saying their method is orderly and fundamentally different from that of opposition groups.
“For us as NRM, we don’t do processions. Our candidate comes in and finds the people settled in. A candidate is a magnet. How people get to rallies is one thing, but a candidate coming in with a procession is another thing,” Namayanja said during NBS Frontline on Thursday.
She insisted the party relies on organisation rather than road processions to attract supporters.
However, several clips shared on social have shown NRM supporters engaged in street processions. The latest incident was in Kabale where President Museveni addressed his rally earlier this week.
Her remarks follow widespread debate sparked by the police’s conduct during Tuesday’s National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential campaign rally in Kawempe.
The event drew national attention after police deployed dogs to manage crowds that had gathered to welcome NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine.
Videos shared online and reported by several media outlets showed hound-type dogs being unleashed toward civilians.
The footage captured scenes of the animals lunging at supporters, prompting public criticism and raising concerns about the methods used by law enforcement in crowd control.
The incident was accompanied by other aggressive measures, including pepper spray, forceful arrests and confrontations involving police vehicles.
Civil society organisations and political commentators have questioned whether these tactics are proportionate, warning that such scenes undermine public confidence in the democratic process as the election season intensifies.
Kawempe is the latest in a series of reported disruptions targeting NUP activities. In Mukono and Buikwe, the party cited heightened violence and clashes with security personnel.
Across Busoga, Bugisu, Lango and Ankole, several NUP supporters were arrested during or after campaign engagements. The party claims that more than 300 of its members have been detained nationwide in recent weeks.
As campaigns continue across the country, questions remain about policing standards, political fairness and how Uganda’s rival blocs will navigate an increasingly tense electoral climate.