The Uganda Police Force has dismissed allegations that it is abducting members and supporters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), insisting that recent detentions are lawful arrests tied to ongoing criminal investigations.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday at Police Headquarters in Naguru, Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said the growing public outcry over what has been described as politically motivated abductions is “false and misleading.”
“We don’t abduct, we arrest,” Rusoke told journalists. “The public cannot dictate how we carry out arrests because we follow the law. When someone is arrested, they are taken to a police station, a case file is opened — that is not kidnapping.”
According to police records, 10 NUP members have been arrested, with nine already prosecuted for various offenses. The majority face charges related to alleged participation in unlawful military drills at the NUP headquarters in Makerere Kavule — an offense under Uganda’s Penal Code Act.
NUP headquarters in kavule.
Among those named are Tasi Calvin (alias Bobi Giant), Serunkuuma Edwin (alias Eddie King Kabenja), Lukenge Sharif, Nyanzi Yasin, Kaweesi, Waiswa Mufumbiro, and Saudah Madaada. One more suspect, a female, is expected to be prosecuted soon.
Rusoke reiterated that the method of arrest is determined by the operational circumstances, noting that individuals may be summoned, apprehended at home, or detained anywhere in the country.
“The police do not need to consult anyone on how arrests are made. What matters is that the law is followed, and legal procedures are respected,” he said.
Opposition Condemns Arrests
NUP leaders have condemned the arrests, describing them as arbitrary detentions carried out by armed men in plain clothes, often without clear legal justification or proper documentation. The party claims the arrests are part of a wider campaign to intimidate opposition figures ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Over the weekend, Doreen Kaija, head of the NUP’s Kamwokya Leadership Training School and a local council candidate for Nakawa East, was reportedly taken from her home in Kinawataka by heavily armed plainclothes personnel. Police later confirmed she was in custody but declined to disclose the charges against her.
These incidents have raised alarm among human rights organizations, civil society groups, and political analysts, who fear a repeat of the mass arrests and detentions that marred the 2021 election cycle.
Mounting Concerns Over Political Freedoms
Critics argue that the continued arrest and prosecution of opposition supporters — particularly those affiliated with NUP — represent a troubling trend that could erode public trust in Uganda’s democratic process.
While the police maintain that they are acting within the confines of the law, calls for greater transparency and accountability in law enforcement continue to grow, especially as the country inches closer to the 2026 polls