Kampala
Ugandan security forces have raided the offices of the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Kavule and the party’s School of Leadership in Kamwokya, according to NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
Taking to social media, Bobi Wine accused President Yoweri Museveni’s government of orchestrating the attack, stating, “Museveni’s criminals have just broken into our offices at Kavule after blocking off all roads leading there. They have also raided our School of Leadership at Kamwokya. COWARDS!”
The raids come amidst rising tensions between opposition leaders and the government, with NUP frequently accusing security forces of intimidation and repression. It remains unclear what prompted the latest operation, but similar raids in the past have resulted in the confiscation of party documents, branding materials, and electronic devices.
The party spokesperson and Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Rt. Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, expressed concern over the military’s actions, stating that security forces were conducting a search without the presence of any NUP officials. He warned that this could be a pretext for planting false evidence.
“Since they are not in the company of any of our officials having chased them, these shameless fellows might come out saying they found guns or other things at our premises…or even plant some things and later claim they belong to us. Even in their cowardly acts, they are not smart at all,” Ssenyonyi said. Mutusanze tulaba!!
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Bobi Wine’s brother, Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu, also known as Chairman Nyanzi, has been released after his alleged abduction. Nyanzi, a prominent NUP mobilizer, was reportedly taken by unidentified security operatives over the weekend. According to NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, he was dropped off at Wandegeya Police Station by operatives from the Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce (JATT) and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI).
The government has yet to issue an official statement regarding the raids or Nyanzi’s detention. However, opposition members and human rights activists have condemned the actions, calling them part of a wider crackdown on political dissent.
This is not the first time NUP offices have been targeted. In October 2020, security forces stormed the party’s headquarters in Kamwokya, seizing campaign materials and arresting several members.
With political tensions escalating, the opposition remains defiant, vowing to continue its struggle for democracy despite mounting pressure from authorities.
