Tensions have erupted between security officials and leaders of the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Masaka City after the Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Ahmed Washaki, vowed to block and arrest party leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, commonly known as Bobi Wine, should he proceed with a planned political rally at the Masaka Recreation Ground on November 29.
Earlier this week, NUP leaders in Masaka announced that they had reached an agreement with local authorities to hold their rally at the Recreation Ground.
Masaka City Mayor and NUP district chairperson Florence Namayanja confirmed that the party had followed due process and was granted permission, just like other political groups have used the venue in the past.
“This is a public ground that has hosted rallies for several political parties, including NRM and even the new PLU movement. There is no reason why NUP should be treated differently,” Namayanja stated.
However, RCC Ahmed Washaki dismissed the NUP’s claims and declared that the party would not be allowed to use the venue. He argued that the Recreation Ground’s location in the city center—close to the main hospital, the presidential lodge, and other sensitive government facilities—makes it unsuitable for such political gatherings.
“It is not allowed to hold such mass political rallies in the city center. We cannot risk public safety or national security,” Washaki asserted.
The RCC further warned that if NUP leaders defy the directive and attempt to hold the rally, security forces will arrest Kyagulanyi upon his arrival in Masaka.
“If they insist on coming here, their leader will be apprehended. We shall not allow anyone to disrupt peace in Masaka,” Washaki vowed.
Despite the standoff, NUP has been offered three alternative venues outside the city center—Kitovu Arena (6 km from Masaka), Kiyumba Playground (16 km away), and Kabonera Grounds along the Masaka–Mutukula road.
The Masaka Recreation Ground has long been a venue for major political events, hosting rallies for both government and opposition parties, including President Yoweri Museveni’s NRM and General Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).
The confrontation underscores the ongoing friction between the ruling establishment and the opposition, as NUP continues to push for broader access to public spaces for political mobilisation.