The government has rejected a request by the National Unity Platform (NUP) to use Kololo Ceremonial Grounds for a presidential campaign rally early next year, telling the opposition party that the venue is fully booked until at least March or April 2026.
In a December 8, 2025 letter, the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs informed NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya that his party's request to hold a presidential candidate rally at Kololo on January 10, 2026, could not be accommodated due to prior bookings.
The letter, referenced FAD 40/116/02, was signed by Sam Kallu on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, the same official who signed a similar rejection of NUP’s request to use Kololo for its anniversary celebrations last year.
“Reference is made to your letter dated October 27th, 2025, requesting to use Kololo Ceremonial Grounds to hold our Presidential Campaign Rally on the 10th day of January, 2026,” the letter reads in part.
“However, we regret to inform you that your request came a bit late. The grounds are already booked up to March/April 2026 on our calendar,” it adds.
The ministry advised the opposition party to look for another venue, stating: “You are therefore advised to seek an alternative venue.”
The letter was copied to several senior officials within the defence establishment, including the Under Secretary for Finance and Administration, the Commander of the Special Forces, and Capt Daniel Epune, the UPDF Resident Engineer and field supervisor at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, indicating that the decision had been internally circulated and endorsed.
NUP’s request had been formally submitted more than two months earlier, on October 27, 2025, as part of preparations for its planned presidential campaign activities ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The latest rejection mirrors a similar decision taken in July 2024, when the Ministry of Defence denied NUP permission to use Kololo Ceremonial Grounds for the party’s fourth anniversary celebrations.
At the time, the ministry cited ongoing infrastructural rehabilitation works at the venue as the reason for the refusal. That decision also came through a letter signed by Sam Kallu.
Following the 2024 rejection, NUP officials accused the government of applying double standards, arguing that Kololo remained available for other public and state events while their own request was denied.
Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, located in the heart of Kampala, is a symbolic national venue commonly used for state functions, national celebrations, and major political events. Access to the grounds has often been a point of contention between opposition parties and the government.
NUP has not yet publicly responded to the latest rejection or indicated which alternative venue it intends to use for the planned rally.
The party is expected to intensify its campaign activities in the coming months as political parties gear up for the 2026 elections.
