Kampala, Uganda – After enduring several hours of interrogation, 40 elders from the Teso Sub-Region have been released from Wandegeya Police Station, sparking outrage over their treatment.
The group, who had visited the headquarters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Kavule to meet party leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, were arrested earlier yesterday in a dramatic military operation.
The elders, senior citizens from Eastern Uganda, had gathered to discuss strengthening the NUP’s presence in their region, expressing frustration over unfulfilled promises by the Museveni government.
According to Bobi Wine, their meeting took place just hours before security forces raided the NUP offices.
As the elders boarded their bus to return home, military personnel surrounded them, confiscated their phones and ordered them not to communicate with anyone.
For hours, their whereabouts remained unknown, raising fears of abduction among party supporters and family members.
Posts on X from NUP leaders and supporters, including David Lewis Rubongoya and Bobi Wine himself, described the incident as “unbelievable” and condemned the heavy-handed tactics.
“You can imagine subjecting such senior citizens to so much indignity and humiliation simply because you’re scared of the shadows!!” one statement read, reflecting the sentiment of shock and dismay.
After intense pressure and hours of uncertainty, the elders were finally located at Wandegeya Police Station, where they had been detained and interrogated.
Their release late on February 21, 2025, brought relief but did little to quell the growing anger over what many see as an escalation of intimidation against opposition voices ahead of the 2026 elections.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism, with NUP supporters and local leaders questioning the justification for targeting elderly citizens engaging in peaceful political dialogue.
“They are in much fear. They are seeing that everyone now wants NUP,” one observer noted on X, suggesting the arrests reflect the government’s anxiety over the opposition’s rising influence.
This latest episode adds to a pattern of confrontations between the NUP and Ugandan security forces, who have frequently disrupted the party’s activities.