Katwe Police Division Community Liaison Officer (CLO), ASP Gilbert Nyaika, has defended a series of recent arrests involving supporters and leaders of the National Unity Platform (NUP), insisting the operations were lawful and unrelated to political affiliation.
Speaking on NBS Frontline on Thursday, Nyaika addressed growing criticism following police actions coinciding with campaign activities of NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
“We are not targeting NUP supporters. We are just keeping law and order,” Nyaika stated, emphasizing that police enforce the law impartially, regardless of political context or location.
He stressed that individuals who commit crimes cannot evade accountability, even at campaign rallies, and defended the conduct of officers amid allegations of excessive force. “We’ve had instances when suspects become violent or confrontational. Reasonable force is sometimes unavoidable,” he said.
Nyaika also clarified that mobility does not shield offenders from justice, noting, “When someone commits an offence in Lira and escapes, we shall arrest them wherever we find them and hand them over to Lira.”
The remarks come after arrests along the Mbarara–Ibanda Road, where Bobi Wine was heading to his second campaign rally in the Ankole sub-region. NUP has accused police of assaulting supporters and staging ambushes involving individuals in NRM T-shirts.
Those arrested face charges ranging from obstruction of police, robbery, malicious damage to property, and traffic violations, to alleged unauthorized military-style drills during celebrations of Bobi Wine’s 43rd birthday.
Among the detained are NUP figures including deputy party spokesperson and Nakawa East MP aspirant Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, Kampala Central Woman Lord Councillor aspirant Saudah Madaada, party school coordinator Dorren Kaija, and six close aides of Bobi Wine, including Edward Ssebufu (Eddie Mutwe) and Achileo Kivumbi. All have pleaded not guilty.
NUP leaders condemned the arrests, describing them as targeted persecution ahead of the 2026 general elections, and reiterated calls for the release of what they termed political prisoners, stressing constitutional guarantees of assembly and political expression.