Chaos at NUP Headquarters as Police and Military Unleash Violence on Peaceful Gathering
This brutal crackdown occurred on the same day NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was returning to the country from a foreign mobilisation tour. His expected arrival had drawn excitement among party faithful, who had assembled at the headquarters to both welcome him and continue internal democratic processes.
Uganda today: Chaos at NUP Headquarters as Police and Military Unleash Violence on Peaceful Gathering
KAMPALA | www.ugandatoday.co.ug — In a grim and shocking turn of events, the headquarters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) at Makerere Kavule descended into chaos on Tuesday, when a joint operation by the Uganda Police and Military brutally disrupted a peaceful gathering of party supporters and aspiring candidates.
The gathering, organized to receive and scrutinize nomination forms from individuals seeking to represent the opposition party in the upcoming elections, was marred by sudden violence that left several injured and scores arrested. Live bullets were fired indiscriminately into the air and inside the NUP premises, sparking panic and disbelief among onlookers and participants alike.
This brutal crackdown occurred on the same day NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was returning to the country from a foreign mobilisation tour. His expected arrival had drawn excitement among party faithful, who had assembled at the headquarters to both welcome him and continue internal democratic processes.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of horror as security forces without warning or provocation descended upon the premises, forcing entry with guns drawn. “We were merely verifying forms from our aspiring candidates when all hell broke loose,” said one NUP official who requested anonymity for fear of retribution. “Men in uniform stormed in and started shooting, arresting people as if we were criminals. Yet this was an entirely peaceful and lawful activity.”
Photographs and videos circulating on social media show bloodied individuals being carried out of the NUP offices, damaged property, and terrified youth scaling walls to escape the brutal assault. Several NUP staffers and supporters have reportedly been taken into custody, though the police have yet to issue a formal statement explaining the violent raid.
Human rights defenders and civil society organisations have condemned the incident in the strongest terms. “This is a brazen attack on political freedom and the right to peaceful assembly,” said Eron Kiiza, a prominent human rights lawyer. “It reflects a regime increasingly desperate to silence dissent by using state machinery as a weapon against its opponents.”
The attack comes amid heightened political tension and growing criticism of the state’s repressive tactics against opposition figures, particularly those affiliated with NUP. Observers say the incident underscores a broader strategy to intimidate and weaken the party ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Kyagulanyi, who later addressed the press, condemned the raid, calling it an act of “impunity and cowardice by a paranoid regime clinging to power through brute force.” He demanded the immediate release of those arrested and urged the international community to take note of the escalating repression in Uganda.
“Today’s events are yet another reminder that this regime is scared of the people’s power,” Kyagulanyi said. “We shall not be intimidated. We shall continue to organise, mobilise and fight for a new Uganda — free from fear, violence, and injustice.”
As the dust settles and families search for their loved ones taken in the raid, the silence from the Uganda Police and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) remains deafening. For many Ugandans, the events at NUP headquarters serve as a painful reminder of the fragile state of democracy and the dangerous cost of political participation under President Yoweri Museveni’s rule.
www.ugandatoday.co.ug will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more information emerges.
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