The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has warned against the continued use of inflammatory political language, saying such statements risk dragging the country into unnecessary violence as the election season intensifies.
In a statement released on Thursday December 4, 2025, Colonel Chris Magezi, the Acting Director for Defence Public Information expressed deep concern over remarks attributed to the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi who has repeatedly called on his supporters to swarm polling stations on Election Day and later march to Kampala. The candidate has also urged his supporters to prepare to confront security forces, arguing that police and the army would be outnumbered.
Magezi criticised the tone and intent of the remarks, warning that such rhetoric threatens national stability.
“This type of polarizing language is very unfortunate indeed. It is ill advised, toxic, shallow in logic and dangerous. The security forces strongly condemn the spirit and message behind the call, and we contend that this must stop henceforth,” he said in the statement.
He cautioned that those inciting citizens into violent confrontations would ultimately bear responsibility for the consequences.
“In the worst-case scenario, those who incite violence and promote anarchy by misleading the young of Uganda to violently confront the security forces will themselves not escape the outcome. The net effect will be a futile and zero-sum game with no winners,” Magezi noted.
The UPDF spokesperson reminded political actors of Uganda’s turbulent past, warning that any attempts to undermine the credibility of the country’s security forces threaten the peace enjoyed today.
“It is inconceivable that an aspiring national leader would seek to undermine the credibility of the country’s security forces, the foundation upon which everything else thrives,” he said.
Magezi emphasized that the armed forces remain fully capable of handling any threat.
He noted, “The country’s armed forces, and the UPDF in particular, are highly capable, organized, proficient and lethal. There is no threat we cannot deal with, and it will be very bad news for those who do not heed the warnings.”
He added that anyone doubting the army’s operational strength should look to past and ongoing operations.
“If the NUP leader is in doubt about the capabilities of our armed forces, he should consult the al-Shabaab in Somalia, the ADF and CODECO in the DRC, or Joseph Kony and his defunct LRA in CAR, as well as other violent and negative groups in the region.”
Magezi likened the current wave of provocative political statements to past cult-like mobilizations that led young people into disastrous conflicts.
“The modern day Alice Lakwena’s, or the Kirumira Mutimas of the Rwenzori region recently, who similarly confuse young people into reckless misadventures, have no place in Uganda’s progress and transformational journey,” he said.
The UPDF appealed to all political leaders to conduct their campaigns peacefully, adhere to Electoral Commission guidelines and operate strictly within the laws of Uganda.
Magezi reaffirmed that maintaining national stability remains the top priority of the security forces as the country heads into a critical election period.
