Uganda opposition office faces security ‘lockdown,’ claims politician

The Uganda opposition office is experiencing a security ‘lockdown,’ as claimed by a politician. Explore the details of this development

On Monday, the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), also known as Bobi Wine, reported that officers from both Uganda’s police and army had laid siege to their headquarters – which happens to be the largest opposition party in Africa.

Prior to the prohibited demonstrations scheduled for Tuesday, which have been restricted by authorities in East Africa, this event took place.

The politician who once pursued a career as a musician and is now involved in politics made assertions on X (previously known as Twitter). He alleged that the NUP’s premises located close to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, had been invaded by armed forces and transformed into military quarters.

“Numerous leaders have been arrested with force and the pathways leading to their office are now barricaded. This is all due to their fear of the people,” expressed Bobi Wine in his statement.

On Tuesday, the youth of Uganda are planning a march to parliament in order to protest against what they believe is rampant corruption and violations of human rights under President Yoweri Museveni’s leadership. These demonstrations appear to have been partly influenced by recent protests led by Kenya’s youth that resulted in violent confrontations with riot police leaving many anti-tax protesters dead.

President Museveni cautioned against anti-corruption protests in Uganda, stating that organizers would be “playing with fire” if they carried on. He has been in office since 1986.

During a speech, the head honcho leveled allegations against protest planners, insinuating that some of them belonged to opposing factions and were in cahoots with outsiders to cause turmoil within Uganda. He went on to stress that his administration was focused on generating prosperity and would not put up with any disruptions.

Granting permission for the demonstrations has been declined by the Uganda Police Force (UPF), citing that they could potentially lead to notable traffic congestion, trade disruption, and public order disturbances.

According to Reuters, Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke stated that the security forces have implemented measures as a precautionary measure against NUP’s protest mobilization.

Despite being the leader of NUP, Bobi Wine has refuted claims that the proposed demonstrations against corruption are backed by opposition parties. However, he affirmed his party’s stance in advocating for any initiative aimed at protesting injustice, misrule and corruption. In recent years, this 42-year-old musician-turned-politician has become Museveni’s primary adversary but was unable to dethrone him during the 2021 elections after garnering only 35.08% of votes while his opponent clinched a commanding lead with a vote share of 58.38%.