National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, on Saturday braved a tense and heavily militarised environment to hold his campaign rally in Gulu City, Northern Uganda.

Mr Kyagulanyi, who arrived from Gulu District after earlier rallies, was blocked along Gulu Airfield Road by joint security forces comprising the UPDF and the Police.

Undeterred, he jumped out of his vehicle and proceeded on foot, accompanied by a small team of party members and his security detail. A scuffle later broke out along the route, during which UPDF soldiers allegedly beat some of his security personnel, injuring several, including his close aide Dan Magic.

Mr Kyagulanyi made a slow procession through the streets of Gulu under tight escort, while residents watched from the roadside-some in fear, others cheering jubilantly.

Earlier in the day, security forces had deployed heavily across major streets in Gulu City, with several access roads barricaded using metallic spikes and guarded by armed personnel. 

There were also incidents of unidentified groups attacking residents around some streets and at Kyagulanyi’s campaign venue, where they reportedly vandalised music equipment and stoned vehicles before police intervened.

Despite the tension, Kyagulanyi was eventually escorted to his campaign venue amid loud cheers from supporters. However, the crowd remained uneasy, frequently scattering in panic due to the overwhelming security presence.

In his address, the musician turned politician accused security forces of attempting to suppress his campaign by blocking access roads and intimidating his supporters.

“The Uganda police say they are creating security and stability. In Gulu today, we have more than 1,000 police officers and more than 500 UPDF soldiers. But their assignment is not to give security to the people, it is to make sure Bobi Wine does not campaign in Gulu,” he told the gathering.

Mr Kyagulanyi helps his confidant, Daniel Oyirwoth, also known as Sir Dan Magic, after he was attacked and injured by the stick-wielding military and police officers who attempted to block Mr Kyagulanyi from accessing Gulu City, where he was scheduled to campaign.

He further alleged that despite the heavy deployment, groups he described as “goons” freely harassed his supporters.

“Those people wearing yellow T-shirts, some of them are soldiers, others police officers, and others are thugs they picked from ghettos. These people were guarded by police, UPDF, and Uganda Prisons,” he said.
Mr Kyagulanyi told supporters that the intimidation he faces only reinforces the urgency for political change.

“You cannot stop an idea whose time has come. You cannot stop the people of Uganda. It has been 40 years. Museveni took over our country 40 years ago, and many do not know what happened,” he said.