National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, has been blocked from campaigning in Iganga District by a combined team of the UPDF, Police, and other sister agencies.
According to the Electoral Commission’s harmonized programme, Kyagulanyi was scheduled to campaign in Iganga Municipality and Mayuge district today but was stopped from proceeding to Iganga after his rally in Mayuge earlier in the day.
Kyagulany took to his X handle to express his disappointment at the security personnel’s actions, noting that NUP was striving to build a country where security forces are there to protect citizens and not to terrorise them.
“Blocked from proceeding to Iganga for our campaigns by the military and police! Although two other presidential candidates have so far campaigned in Iganga Municipality, the RDC, RPC and DPC in Iganga have insisted that we must not campaign in Iganga Municipality,” Kyagulanyi said.
He noted that the security forces started by intimidating venue owners until the party secured Oxford High School playground for their campaign in Iganga.“This morning, these partisan criminals insisted that we must not campaign anywhere in the Municipality. This, in addition to the long, dusty roads they’re forcing us to use! Seeing that they came armed to the teeth to injure or kill our people, we have decided to postpone our campaign in Iganga,” he said.
He said the party will engage the Electoral Commission, “So they make it clear that I and the National Unity Platform are now allowed to campaign in Iganga Municipality while other candidates campaign there!”
NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya said the military and police insisted the candidate could not proceed, effectively forcing the team to abandon the plan.
“We have been blocked from campaigning in Iganga Municipality… We have made it clear that just like other candidates, we have every right to campaign in every constituency in Uganda, including Iganga,” he said.
The security forces’ actions have been condemned by the Human Rights Defenders, noting that this contravened the electoral process.
“Today Uganda Military Blocks @HEBobiwine Campaign in Iganga district, Defying Electoral Guidelines
Heavily armed military & police forces, gun cocked, blocked the route to the venue—forcing him to cancel his rally. “This is illegal interference in the electoral process,” he says, accusing the regime of inciting violence, the rights defenders posted.
Kyagulanyi’s campaigns have been marred by security forces’ interceptions from the outset, who have forced the NUP Principal and his supporters to divert from the main road and use tedious, longer inner roads.
