Soldiers and police sealed off the headquarters of Uganda’s largest opposition party on Monday. According to a police spokesperson, the action was a precautionary measure ahead of anti-government protests planned for Tuesday.
National Unity Platform party chief Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, posted on the social media platform X that security personnel had encircled the NUP headquarters in Kampala, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
Bobi Wine shared images of military personnel and parked army trucks at the premises.
“The military and police have raided and surrounded the National Unity Platform offices ahead of our scheduled press conference this morning” he stated.
“The cowardly regime is terrified of the people because they are aware of the extent of their wrongdoings!”
As a pop star turned politician, Wine, 42, has emerged in recent years as the leading opponent to President Yoweri Museveni, 79, who has been in power in Uganda since 1986.
On Tuesday, Ugandan youth who have been at the forefront of recent unrest are set to march to parliament to protest against alleged widespread corruption and human rights abuses during President Museveni’s extended rule.
Kituuma Rusoke, the police spokesperson, said that security forces had adopted precautionary measures in response to what he called NUP’s “preparation for the protest.”
“Our surveillance of their activities highlighted potential risks, leading us to take necessary precautions,” He remarked.
Critics, including opposition leaders and rights activists, assert that embezzlement and misuse of government funds are pervasive in Uganda.
They have repeatedly accused President Museveni of neglecting to prosecute corrupt senior officials who are either loyal to him or related to him.
Museveni has consistently refuted claims of tolerating corruption, asserting that whenever sufficient evidence is available, those involved, including lawmakers and ministers, are held accountable and prosecuted.
He often cites specific cases where high-ranking officials have faced legal consequences as proof of his commitment to combating corruption.
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