Kira Municipality Member of Parliament and People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) Spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has raised serious concerns over Uganda’s electoral environment, warning that opposition parties are not merely competing against the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), but against the full apparatus of the state.
“When we were doing a budget in Parliament, even the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) was requesting a budget for elections,” Ssemujju said, emphasising that the opposition faces formidable structural challenges beyond conventional political competition.
His remarks come amid widespread public concern over police tactics used during the National Unity Platform (NUP) rally in Kawempe on Tuesday.
Videos and eyewitness reports show police deploying dogs—identified as hound-type animals rather than specialised sniffer dogs against civilians.
The animals were seen lunging at and intimidating supporters of NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
In addition to the use of dogs, law enforcement reportedly employed pepper spray, made forceful arrests, and engaged in confrontations involving police vehicles to control the crowd.
These methods have sparked debate over the proportionality and appropriateness of police actions at political gatherings during Uganda’s highly charged pre-election period.
Kawempe is the latest in a series of campaign disruptions targeting NUP events. Similar incidents have been reported in Mukono and Buikwe, where party officials allege heightened violence and clashes with security forces.
In regions including Busoga, Bugisu, Lango, and Ankole, numerous NUP members were arrested during or after campaign activities, with party sources claiming that over 300 supporters have been detained nationwide in recent weeks.
Ssemujju’s comments highlight growing concerns that Uganda’s opposition faces not just a political rivalry but an entrenched system that extends into security institutions, raising pressing questions about the fairness and safety of the upcoming elections.