KIRUHURA; The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was on Wednesday blocked from holding a campaign rally in Kiruhura District, the home area of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, following violent clashes between supporters of the NUP and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
Bobi Wine, who was scheduled to address supporters in Kazo and Kiruhura districts as part of his campaign trail in western Uganda, was intercepted by groups of NRM supporters who blocked his convoy from accessing planned venues.
According to eyewitnesses, the NUP convoy was first blocked along Kaguta Road, one of the main routes into Kiruhura, by crowds of NRM supporters dressed in yellow party T-shirts. To avoid confrontation, Bobi Wine’s team diverted and continued along the main road toward Sanga Town.
However, tensions flared again in Sanga, where groups of NRM supporters wielding sticks confronted NUP supporters, forcing the police to intervene. Despite efforts by security officers to calm the situation, violent confrontations soon broke out in Rushere Town, prompting a heavier security deployment.
The clashes left several people injured and disrupted traffic in the area. As a result, Bobi Wine was unable to hold any of his scheduled rallies in Kiruhura District and was forced to proceed to the neighboring Kazo District, where he later addressed a campaign rally.
Speaking to his supporters in Kazo, Bobi Wine condemned the violence and accused local authorities of deliberately blocking him from addressing Ugandans in President Museveni’s home area.
“We came here during the 2021 elections to speak to you, but they blocked us. We went to Rushere today, and they made sure we didn’t hold any rally there. The RDC blocked us from speaking to our people, yet we are all Ugandans,” Bobi Wine said.
He called for equal campaign rights for all candidates regardless of political affiliation and urged Ugandans to reject tribal divisions and embrace unity.
“This regime has used tribalism to divide us, as if we are different people. The most important message I am preaching across the country is unity. We want a new Uganda that believes in equality and the rule of law,” he added.
Security officials in Kiruhura declined to comment on the incident, though sources within the police said the heavy deployment was meant to maintain peace and prevent escalation between rival groups.
Bobi Wine is expected to continue his campaign trail in Isingiro District today.
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