Fort Portal
Police in Fort Portal City have sealed off a hotel where National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, spent the night.
Authorities say the heavy deployment was aimed at dispersing supporters who had begun gathering near the hotel ahead of Kyagulanyi’s scheduled campaign rallies in Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa districts.
On Tuesday, security forces blocked Kyagulanyi from holding campaign events in Bunyabugabu District and Fort Portal City, sparking clashes between his supporters and security personnel. Tear gas and live bullets were fired in attempts to disperse the crowds, though tensions persisted.
This is not the first time Kyagulanyi’s campaign activities have faced restrictions. Since the start of the campaign season, security has repeatedly prevented him from accessing venues, while his supporters have reported arrests and violent confrontations.
Last week in Gulu City, security allegedly deployed groups armed with sticks and bottles who attacked NUP supporters, injuring several, including Kyagulanyi’s aide and music producer Sir Dan Magic.
An eyewitness, Samuel Okello, claimed that during the Gulu incident, one security officer attempted to stab Kyagulanyi with a bayonet. “I saw one of the soldiers drawing out his bayonet and advancing towards the president [Bobi Wine]. You never know, maybe the bayonet was laced with poison. But he did not attack because we had shielded him,” Okello said.
The National Unity Platform has condemned the repeated disruptions, while police maintain that deployments are necessary to maintain public order.
