KAMPALA – A wave of tension has gripped the National Unity Platform (NUP) following reports of a secret security plan to arrest nearly two dozen of its top officials, including party president Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, over an alleged unauthorized military parade.
According to highly placed sources, security officials within the government are holding clandestine meetings to orchestrate the arrest of 23 specific NUP members. The charges are linked to a recent event in Kavule where party supporters are said to have participated in a parade that security agencies deemed a “military-style” exercise.
The alleged plan targets the very top echelon of the opposition party. Those on the reported arrest list include:
· Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine): NUP President
· Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi: The Party’s First Lady
· Lewis Rubongoya: NUP Secretary General
· George Musisi: The Party’s Lawyer
· Several journalists who were present at the scene but did not report the incident to the police.
The security apparatus claims the individuals participated in or witnessed a military parade conducted without seeking permission from the Ministry of Defence and other relevant government authorities. Their actions are said to have “caused panic to top officials in Statehouse,” who viewed the event as a provocative security threat.
So far, only 8 of the 23 individuals on the list have been apprehended. One of those already in custody is identified as Waiswa Mufubiro. The remaining 15, including the party’s top leadership, are said to be under close surveillance and on the “security radar.”
The reports shed light on a significant behind-the-scenes conflict within the state’s security organs. It is alleged that shortly after Bobi Wine inspected the parade, Senior Presidential Advisor Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba issued direct orders to the Inspector General of Police, Abbas Byakagaba, to arrest the NUP leader.
However, IGP Byakagaba reportedly refused to execute the order after consulting with President Yoweri Museveni at State House and military commanders at Makindye Barracks, who also advised against the arrest.
In a notable detail, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, is reportedly not on the arrest list. Sources indicate his exclusion is because he was not present in Kavule at the time the alleged event took place.
The NUP has yet to release an official statement on the alleged plot, but the reports have caused significant anxiety within the party and among its supporters. The government has not publicly commented on these specific allegations.
This development marks a significant escalation in the long-standing tensions between the Ugandan government and its main opposition party.
