On Friday, October 6, 2023, the police reported that they have detained Busiro South Member of Parliament, Charles Matovu, along with 39 other individuals, on charges of inciting violence. The arrests took place following a foiled procession organized to welcome the National Unity Platform (NUP) president, Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango, a total of 40 suspects were apprehended for inciting violence. Items intended for use in processions, including red berets, handheld megaphone speakers, and white and red T-shirts branded “Kunga Uganda,” were recovered.
The detained individuals, including MP Charles Matovu, underwent fingerprinting and profiling, with the police stating that they will face charges in court as operations continue.
The arrests followed a security operation conducted on Thursday, which involved both overt and covert officers, as mentioned by Mr. Onyango. NUP leaders, including David Lewis Rubongoya, expressed their condemnation of what they considered indiscriminate arrests, emphasizing that their supporters were simply trying to give Bobi Wine a warm welcome.
Robert Kyagulanyi had been put under house arrest on Thursday after returning home from a trip abroad. The United States voiced concerns about the shrinking democratic space in Uganda, with Kyagulanyi’s supporters having planned to accompany him en masse to his home, a gathering deemed illegal by the police.
Ugandan authorities have a history of using “preventative arrest” to detain opposition leaders, often for several hours before releasing them to deter mass demonstrations. Last month, police banned mobilization rallies organized by NUP due to public order concerns.
The US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed concern over Bobi Wine’s detention and the detention of other opposition supporters, citing potential damage to Uganda’s progress and its partnership with the international community.
Bobi Wine’s return to Uganda, following a tour to promote a documentary about him by National Geographic TV titled “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” was eagerly anticipated by his supporters, who see him as a symbol of change in a country ruled by one man for an extended period.
Security forces were deployed around Entebbe airport, NUP offices, and Kampala’s central business district, with police warning against the planned procession, deeming it an “illegality.
President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, has faced opposition and amended the constitution to run for re-election multiple times. The next presidential ballot is scheduled for 2026, with Museveni yet to announce his candidacy.
