KAMPALA – Tensions are flaring in Uganda’s political arena as Fred Nyanzi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) mobilisation head and brother to opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), was arrested at gunpoint in Makerere Kavule on Monday.
The detention came after Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, issued a public warning on social media, authorising security agencies to arrest NUP members wearing military-like attire.
In his post on X, Gen Muhoozi declared, “I give permission from today, all security agencies to arrest on the spot any NUP or other opposition groups wearing anything resembling a military uniform.”
However, the move has sparked accusations of bias, as pro-government figures, including Muhoozi’s spokesperson Andrew Mwenda and musicians like Eddy Kenzo, have frequently worn real military attire without facing arrest.
The arrests are linked to Section 170(2) of Uganda’s Penal Code Act, which prohibits the unauthorised use of military-like uniforms but does not specify penalties. Critics argue that the law is being selectively enforced, targeting opposition members while sparing government allies. The incident has deepened political divisions, with NUP supporters condemning the arrests as politically motivated and a threat to democratic freedoms.
NUP leader Rober Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine condemned the abduction, calling it part of a broader crackdown by the government.
In a post on X, he stated: “Our comrade and Head of Mobilisation for @NUP_Ug, Comrade Nyanzi Fred Ssentamu, has been abducted by heavily armed men and taken away in a drone to an unknown destination! He has been abducted at gunpoint from Kubbiri Roundabout. The criminal regime is on a rampage.”
There has been widespread accusations of government forces witch-hunting the opposition and many NUP supporters are being held in detentions, some held since the 2021 elections. Uganda will hold it elections next year.
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