Police have strongly denied allegations by National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, that security agencies are planning to arrest him ahead of polling day.
In a statement, police described the claims as “unfounded and provocative,” insisting there is no scheme to detain the opposition leader or to engineer violence before the elections.
“The Uganda Police Force categorically dismisses allegations of a scheme to detain candidate Kyagulanyi Ssentamu or engineer incidents before election day. These assertions are unfounded and provocative,” the statement reads.
Police said they continue to provide security for Kyagulanyi throughout his campaign activities, emphasizing that their role is to ensure his safety and that of other political actors.
“UPF provides security for the NUP candidate throughout his campaign activities, ensuring his safety. Our effort is geared towards facilitating tranquil elections, and we call on every political actor to promote non-violence,” police said.
Police further stressed that all arrests are conducted strictly in accordance with the law.
“All apprehensions occur strictly in line with legal guidelines, with detainees processed in full compliance with the law,” the statement added.
The police response follows a post on X by Bobi Wine, in which he claimed to have received intelligence indicating a plot by what he described as a “desperate regime” to arrest him before polling day, allegedly to justify widespread arrests and military deployment.
“I’ve learnt from security circles of a plot to have me arrested before polling day in order to create a pre-emptive massacre akin to what they did in November 2020,” Bobi Wine said.
He further alleged that security operatives planned to provoke confrontations in Mbale City and surrounding districts, and to deploy individuals dressed in NUP colours to portray his party as violent.
Bobi Wine urged his supporters to remain calm but vigilant.
“We urge our people to remain peaceful and non-violent, but very assertive,” he said.
As the election period intensifies, police have reiterated their call for restraint among political players, saying peaceful conduct is essential to ensure a credible and violence-free electoral process.
