Ugandan security forces have arrested more than 300 supporters and officials of opposition leader Bobi Wine’s party since presidential campaigning began last month, amid rising tensions before the January 2026 elections, a party spokesman said on Tuesday.
Crackdown intensifies in Kampala
The detentions, which include scores picked up this week in the capital Kampala, come as pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine – real name Robert Kyagulanyi – launches his second challenge against President Yoweri Museveni.
The 43-year-old Wine, a potent symbol of youth discontent in the East African nation, finished runner-up in the heavily disputed 2021 vote.
Joel Ssenyonyi, spokesman for Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP), said the arrests have targeted ordinary supporters as well as campaign coordinators and close aides. “The regime is in panic; they’re resorting to arrests to deter and instill fear in our people,” he said.
He said over 100 people were detained on Monday during a rally in Kampala’s Kawempe area, with dozens more rounded up on Tuesday on the city’s outskirts.
Local television footage showed security forces firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds at Monday’s event. A video posted on Wine’s X account showed police using pepper spray while a man in plain clothes beat supporters with a cane.
Police did not respond to requests for comment, though a statement late Monday claimed only seven arrests had been made after supporters threw stones and injured officers.
Violence spreads beyond capital
The crackdown has spread beyond Kampala. Tear gas and live bullets disrupted a rally in Mukono district on Tuesday, while earlier incidents in Arua, Lira and Mbarara saw dozens more detained.
At least 95 NUP members have since been charged, mostly with public-order offences that the party insists are politically motivated.
Wine vows to free political prisoners
Wine has vowed to release political prisoners – including veteran opposition figure Kizza Besigye – if he wins power, accusing Museveni government of using arbitrary arrests to silence critics.
Museveni seeks another term
Museveni, 81, has led Uganda since 1986 after seizing power in a bush war. Africa’s fourth longest-serving leader, he twice pushed constitutional amendments to remove presidential term and age limits. A fresh five-year term would extend his rule to nearly half a century.
Echoes of 2021 violence
The unrest mirrors the violent 2021 campaign, when Wine faced repeated arrests and was placed under prolonged house arrest. Analysts warn that large youth turnout at Wine’s rallies is rattling the establishment, raising fears of further escalation as the vote approaches.
Rights groups have called for restraint to ensure a credible and peaceful election.
