National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has accused the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) of orchestrating staged defections in Kawempe North, just days before the crucial by-election.
Kyagulanyi claims that individuals paraded as former NUP supporters joining NRM were actually impostors dressed in party merchandise that was confiscated by security forces during a raid on NUP offices earlier this year.
With political tensions rising ahead of Thursday’s by-election in Kawempe North, Bobi Wine has taken to social media to allege that the ruling party is engaging in deception to create an illusion of mass defections from NUP. Writing on X, he stated that “accomplices” of President Yoweri Museveni were made to wear brand-new NUP T-shirts and wave membership cards that had been taken during a controversial police raid on NUP offices.
The February operation, which targeted NUP’s headquarters in Kamwokya and another office in Kavule, was justified by security agencies as a response to alleged “unauthorised military training” within the party. The raid led to the arrest of several NUP officials and the confiscation of party materials, including over 1,000 T-shirts and 2,500 membership cards, according to Kyagulanyi.
Now, with the by-election approaching, the NUP leader asserts that the same materials have resurfaced in an effort to manufacture support for the ruling party. He further accused the NRM of transporting supporters from different districts to boost attendance at their rallies and mask what he describes as dwindling grassroots support.
“This is in addition to ferrying people from various districts of Uganda to attend [Museveni’s] rally and avoid the embarrassment of an empty ground,” Kyagulanyi claimed.
While the NRM has yet to formally respond to the allegations, security forces maintain that the February raid was necessary due to credible intelligence about “military drills” linked to the opposition party. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke defended the operation, stating that authorities were acting in the interest of national security.
As political campaigns intensify, the battle for Kawempe North remains a crucial test for both NUP and NRM, with accusations and counter-accusations fueling an already heated electoral atmosphere. Whether these latest allegations will impact voter confidence remains to be seen as residents prepare to cast their ballots on Thursday.
