In a recent incident at Entebbe Airport, the President of Uganda’s leading opposition party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), Mr. Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, was removed from a RwandaAir flight upon arrival. Mr. Kyagulanyi had returned to Uganda after weeks of political mobilization trips to Canada and South Africa.
Shortly after the flight’s landing, plainclothes individuals wearing high-visibility jackets surrounded and grabbed Mr. Kyagulanyi, escorting him to an unmarked car. His passport was not stamped, and there was no official record of his re-entry into the country. He was then transported to his home in Magere, Wakiso District, without going through regular immigration procedures.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that these actions were taken as an “emergency security decision” to prevent potential chaos at the airport. The police had previously declared any welcoming procession for Mr. Kyagulanyi illegal and warned of arrests for those defying the order.
Internal Affairs spokesman Mr. Simon Mundeyi explained that the removal of Mr. Kyagulanyi was to avoid disruptions at the airport, stating, “We felt that having him go through immigration formalities would cause a delay, give time for chaos to build up at the airport, what we did solved a security puzzle.”
The incident has drawn criticism from Mr. Kyagulanyi, who accused security forces of violating his right to freedom of movement. He also claimed that more than 300 NUP supporters and members were arrested.
While the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority’s spokesman, Mr. Vianney Luggya, mentioned that he was not aware of any regulation breach, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, SSP Patrick Onyango, clarified that Mr. Kyagulanyi was escorted home rather than arrested.
This incident bears similarities to a 2016 event involving another opposition figure, Dr. Kizza Besigye, who was forcibly removed from a Kenya Airways flight and arrested upon his return to Uganda. Dr. Besigye later sued the aviation agency and was awarded damages for violating his rights to freedom of movement and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment.
