(Kampala) – The National Unity Platform (NUP), led by Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has continued its mobilization efforts in the Teso sub-region. NUP teams visited several districts, including Soroti, Kaperebyong, Serere, Bukedea, Ngora, Kumi, Katakwi, Amuria, Soroti City, Kaberamaido, and Kalaki. The teams engaged with local leaders, strengthening organizational structures and building support in various constituencies.
The visits aim to galvanize the party’s grassroots presence ahead of future elections, and to encourage local leaders to remain active in the political movement. These efforts are part of NUP’s broader campaign to expand its influence and challenge the current government, which the party accuses of repression and election rigging.
Bobi Wine also attended a thanksgiving ceremony at St. Peter’s Parish in Kawaala, honoring Owek. Dan Muliika, the former Katikkiro (Prime Minister) of Buganda Kingdom. Muliika, who served as Katikkiro in 2005 during a particularly turbulent period in the kingdom’s history, used his position to speak out against political oppression and electoral fraud in Uganda. Wine praised Muliika’s unwavering commitment to justice and pledged to continue his legacy by advocating for freedom and democracy in Uganda.
During the ceremony, Bobi Wine reaffirmed NUP’s dedication to addressing issues of national concern, including human rights abuses and the plight of political prisoners. He criticized the government for detaining political activists without trial, some of whom have been imprisoned for nearly four years. These individuals, according to Bobi Wine, are “prisoners of conscience,” detained for their opposition to the regime. He also condemned efforts by certain individuals, allegedly posing as opposition members, to blame the victims rather than the government responsible for their detention.
Bobi Wine welcomed recent international sanctions against Ugandan officials involved in human rights violations but stressed that the ultimate responsibility for change lies with the Ugandan people. He urged citizens to take an active role in the fight for freedom, stating, “The biggest duty to liberate our country lies squarely on the shoulders of WE, the people of Uganda.”
In another development, Achileo Kivumbi, the head of security at NUP headquarters, was released on bail by the General Court Martial after spending nearly three months in detention. Kivumbi was arrested in early August and, according to Wine, subjected to torture while held incommunicado. He was later charged with unlawful possession of military equipment, a charge NUP strongly denies. Bobi Wine expressed relief at Kivumbi’s release but decried the lawlessness surrounding his detention, calling for the release of other political prisoners still held under similar circumstances.
Wine condemned the continued crackdown on opposition figures and called on the international community and Ugandans to stand up against what he described as an increasingly oppressive regime.
