Soldiers and police have sealed off the headquarters of Uganda’s biggest opposition party, as part of efforts to prevent protests against the President Yuweri Musaveni-led government policies.
The premises of the opposition party was sealed on Monday, barely 24 hours to the demonstration expected to afford the people opportunity to express their displeasure over the government policies and programs.
Although the closure has been described by the police spokesperson as a precautionary move ahead of planned anti-government protests on Tuesday.
The National Unity Platform party leader, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly called Bobi Wine, said security personnel had surrounded NUP headquarters in the capital Kampala, barring anyone from entering or exiting.
He said several NUP leaders had been “violently arrested” and also showed pictures of military personnel at the premises alongside parked army trucks.
“The military and police have raided and surrounded the National Unity Platform offices …” Wine said.
“The cowardly regime is so afraid of the people because they know how much they have wronged them!”.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke did not immediately respond when sought for comment about the leaders’ arrests.
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Wine, 42, a pop star turned politician, has in recent years emerged as the biggest challenger to veteran 79-year-old President Yoweri Museveni, who has led the East African nation since 1986.
Ugandan youth who have spearheaded recent protests are planning to March to parliament on Tuesday in defiance of a ban on the demonstration, which is intended to denounce alleged widespread corruption and human rights abuses under Museveni’s long-time rule.
Wine said his party was not organising Tuesday’s protests, but it supported them.
Rusoke said security forces had taken precautionary steps against what he called NUP “mobilisation for the protest”.
“We have been monitoring (this). Their activities raised a red flag and we took precaution measures,” he said.
Opposition leaders and rights activists say embezzlement and misuse of government funds are widespread in Uganda and have long accused Museveni of failing to prosecute corrupt top-level officials who are politically loyal or related to him.
Museveni has repeatedly denied tolerating corruption and says whenever there is sufficient evidence, culprits are prosecuted, for example lawmakers and even ministers.
In a speech on Saturday, he warned Ugandan youth against the planned protests, alleging they were sponsored by foreigners.
“Some elements, some of them from the opposition, are always working with the foreigners to foment chaos in Uganda – riots, illegal demonstrations, illegal and inconsiderate processions, etc. These people … should check themselves or we shall have no alternative but to check them,” he said.
