The National Unity Platform (NUP) has said its Election Management Committee head, Harriet Chemutai, has been released after what the party describes as an overnight abduction by armed security operatives, in an incident the party claims was linked to suspicions she was hiding opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.
In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, NUP Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya said Chemutai was taken from her home in Kapchorwa late Wednesday night and later released after being driven to Mbale and interrogated.
According to Party Secertary General Lewis David Rubongoya, Chemutai told party leaders that more than 50 armed men were involved in the operation, during which her phones were confiscated and searched, and her home was reportedly checked as security personnel questioned her about Kyagulanyi’s whereabouts.
Rubongoya further alleged that Chemutai was later abandoned in Mbale and warned she would face “dire consequences” if she had misled her interrogators.
Earlier reports had indicated that Chemutai was allegedly abducted from her Kapchorwa residence at around 11:00pm by heavily armed men who reportedly fired gunshots to disperse residents who attempted to intervene, before driving her towards Mbale.
Chemutai’s case comes amid longstanding claims by NUP that its members and officials have been targeted through arrests and enforced disappearances, particularly during election periods.
The party has previously alleged thousands of its supporters have been detained on unclear charges, with some reportedly unaccounted for.
The party has also repeatedly cited the cases of its deputy presidents for Northern and Western Uganda, Dr Lina Zedriga Waru and Jackline Jolly Tukamushaba, who remain missing after earlier alleged abductions by suspected security operatives.
Human rights organisations have recently raised concerns about what they describe as a broader crackdown on opposition supporters, including arrests, raids and alleged mistreatment linked to political activity and perceived support for opposition groups.
The developments come amid heightened political tension following the 2026 election period, which rights groups and opposition actors say has been characterised by increased confrontations between security forces and opposition supporters.
NUP leaders have called on authorities to account for all individuals the party says are missing or detained, warning that such incidents risk undermining public confidence in democratic processes. Security agencies in previous cases have maintained that suspects are lawfully arrested and processed through official channels.