Rubaga North Member of Parliament, Abubaker Kawalya, has raised serious concerns over persistent interference by security forces in the campaign activities of the National Unity Platform (NUP), saying the party and its supporters are being unfairly targeted despite adhering to electoral guidelines.
Speaking during Sanyuka Morning Xpress on Thursday, Kawalya said NUP candidates are being unlawfully diverted from roads they are entitled to use during campaign rallies.
“As NUP, we are being diverted from roads we are lawfully supposed to use, with our candidate blocked from accessing certain routes,” he said.
Kawalya added that the situation has caused distress among party supporters and undermined the integrity of the electoral process.
“Our supporters are distressed, and what is happening is not right. We have consistently followed the set guidelines,” he said, emphasizing that the police have a constitutional duty to serve all citizens impartially.
Despite these challenges, Kawalya expressed confidence in the party’s support base and reiterated NUP’s commitment to non-violence.
“This will be a peaceful revolution, and we shall win. Ugandans have already made their decision,” he said.
Kawalya’s remarks come amid escalating tensions at NUP rallies across the country, where hundreds of supporters have reportedly been arrested during events addressed by NUP Presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
In Kawempe, eyewitnesses reported heavy deployment of police and military personnel, in both uniform and plainclothes, with some handlers using sniffer dogs against opposition supporters.
Bobi Wine has accused security forces of violently assaulting his supporters and deliberately disrupting his campaign convoy.
He cited a November incident along the Mbarara–Ibanda Roads, where some of his supporters were arrested during a campaign journey to Bwizibwera in the Ankole sub-region.
Individuals “wearing NRM T-shirts and carrying Museveni posters” were reportedly involved in coordinated attacks against NUP supporters.
Following the arrests, detainees were produced before courts nationwide and charged with offences including obstruction of police officers, robbery, malicious damage to property, traffic violations, and participation in unauthorised military-style drills, linked to a February 12, 2025 parade at NUP’s Makerere–Kavule headquarters marking Bobi Wine’s 43rd birthday.
Among those facing charges are prominent NUP figures, including Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, NUP Deputy Spokesperson and Nakawa East MP aspirant; Saudah Madaada, Kampala Central Woman Lord Councillor aspirant; Dorren Kaija, NUP School Coordinator; and six of Bobi Wine’s close aides, including Edward Ssebufu (Eddie Mutwe) and Achileo Kivumbi. All have pleaded not guilty.
NUP leadership has repeatedly called on security agencies to respect the law, protect all citizens equally, and allow political actors to campaign freely without intimidation.
The party maintains that continued diversions, arrests, and alleged use of excessive force threaten democratic principles and the credibility of the ongoing electoral process.
