Robert Kyagulanyi, the presidential candidate for the National Unity Platform (NUP), has accused the police, military, and prisons authorities of deliberately sabotaging his campaign in northern Uganda, describing their actions as illegal, partisan, and a direct attack on Uganda’s electoral process.
The latest confrontation unfolded in Gulu over the weekend, where Kyagulanyi and his supporters were violently blocked from holding a campaign rally. Reports indicate that security personnel, alongside hired civilian youths commonly known as Aguu, dispersed crowds using force, beating up both supporters and journalists who were covering the event. Several victims sustained serious injuries and were admitted to hospital.
The Gulu incident followed a string of similar disruptions earlier in the week in the districts of Nwoya and Amuru, where Kyagulanyi was stopped from addressing rallies. He was also blocked by a combined deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Police, and the Uganda Prisons Service from reaching Elegu, a strategic campaign stop at the South Sudan border.
Speaking to reporters on Monday before heading to Nakawa for his Kampala campaigns, Kyagulanyi said that the growing pattern of obstruction exposes the political bias of Uganda’s security agencies in favor of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
He directly challenged the Electoral Commission chairperson, Simon Byabakama, to stop remaining silent while institutions mandated to protect the electoral process are, in his view, openly undermining it. Kyagulanyi warned that selective enforcement of campaign rules threatens the credibility of the entire election.
Despite the violence, Kyagulanyi urged his supporters to remain calm and peaceful, saying provocation was intended to derail the struggle for democratic change.
In a rare public intervention, the Electoral Commission on Monday condemned the Gulu violence and directed police to immediately investigate the clashes and bring the perpetrators to book.
Justice Byabakama emphasized that security forces are legally obligated to facilitate peaceful campaigns as earlier agreed with all candidates, adding that any disputes should be resolved through dialogue, not brutality.
Meanwhile, several political and religious leaders in Gulu have also condemned what they described as acts of brutality allegedly carried out by elements within the police and military, reportedly with the backing of individuals linked to the ruling party. They warned that continued use of force against opposition activities risks inflaming political tensions in an already fragile campaign environment.
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