NUP’s Bobi Wine accuses police of harassment, heavy-handed deployment at Fort Portal hotel
FORT PORTAL, UGANDA — National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, commonly known as Bobi Wine, has sharply criticised what he calls the "heavy-handed" and "sickening" deployment of regime police to his hotel in Fort Portal City, where his supporters had gathered peacefully to greet him.
In a strongly worded statement shared on his social media platforms, Bobi Wine reported that “a short while back, the regime police deployed their heavily armed manpower to come to my hotel residence in Fort Portal City and disperse our peaceful supporters who had merely gathered to wave at us.”
He questioned the disproportionate allocation of security resources toward his campaign, contrasting it with the broader security needs of Ugandan citizens. “One wonders why all this manpower is invested in just one presidential candidate, while Ugandans who badly need this security are ignored and rendered vulnerable to insecurity,” he said, adding: “The madness of the regime is just sickening!”
The incident comes amid escalating tension between opposition campaigns and security forces, with NUP officials repeatedly accusing police of targeted obstruction, intimidation, and the misuse of public order management guidelines to stifle their mobilisation efforts.
This latest confrontation follows similar recent incidents, including earlier today when Bobi Wine’s convoy was reportedly blocked for over an hour en route to a rally in Kabarole District.
Police authorities have not yet issued a statement explaining the justification for the deployment to the hotel or the dispersal of supporters.
The NUP leader’s remarks amplify ongoing concerns about electoral fairness, freedom of assembly, and the neutrality of security agencies in the run-up to the 2026 polls.
