Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament Francis Zaake Butebi has accused the police of intentionally obstructing his campaign activities as he seeks re-election in the 2026 general elections.
Zaake said his scheduled community engagements on Tuesday were violently broken up by security personnel as his team moved through several villages to mobilise residents and consult voters.
He claimed the disruptions caused panic among supporters and left at least two people injured.
According to the MP, the police intervened despite prior notification of the meetings, which he described as peaceful and lawful.
“The police deliberately blocked our activities even after we had properly notified them,” Zaake said.
“They unleashed unnecessary force on innocent supporters whose only interest was to attend a peaceful meeting. This is clearly an attempt to silence us.”
Zaake described the incident as part of a broader pattern of intimidation targeting opposition politicians as the country moves closer to the 2026 polls.
He said the actions of the security officers violated citizens’ constitutional rights to free assembly and political participation.
“We cannot talk about free and fair elections when police are the ones frustrating legitimate campaign activities,” he said.
“All candidates, regardless of political affiliation, deserve equal space to speak to the electorate.”
Despite the alleged harassment, Zaake said he would continue with his mobilisation programme and would not be deterred from engaging his constituents.
He also called on human rights organisations, the Electoral Commission, and national leaders to intervene to ensure a fair and peaceful political environment.
By press time, police in Mityana had not issued a formal statement regarding the incident.
