IGANGA – A planned campaign rally for National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, in Iganga was cancelled on October 3rd after a standoff with police, with authorities and the opposition offering conflicting accounts of the incident.
The Uganda Police Force has squarely placed the blame on Bobi Wine’s team, asserting that he was not blocked from holding his rally but instead chose to ignore a pre-arranged security plan.
In an official statement released following the aborted event, police clarified that the NUP leader had successfully held a rally in Mayuge District earlier in the day and was scheduled to proceed to Iganga. According to the police, the agreed-upon venue was Namungale Grounds in Iganga Municipality.
“The rally in Mayuge was successfully held. On their way to Iganga, Candidate Sentamu and his group were advised to follow the agreed-upon route to Iganga Municipality and specifically to Namungale Grounds. However, they opted to take an alternative route where they encountered our cutoffs,” the police statement read.
The term “cutoffs” typically refers to police positions or barriers set up to control or redirect movement.
Police further stated that after the encounter, the NUP team abandoned the Iganga program entirely and diverted their convoy to Jinja City, effectively cancelling the rally. The law enforcement body used the opportunity to urge Kyagulanyi’s camp to adhere to agreed-upon guidelines, emphasizing that compliance is essential for “smooth and peaceful campaigns.”
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the opposition and security agencies during the campaign period. While police maintain their actions are for public safety and order, the NUP and other opposition groups have frequently accused them of using security directives to deliberately disrupt and frustrate their political activities.
As of now, the NUP camp has yet to issue its own detailed response to the police’s latest statement regarding the Iganga event.
