MBARARA.National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, has accused police of violently arresting over 100 of his campaign team as his campaign caravan headed to Bwizibwera township in Mbarara District on Friday evening.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Kyagulanyi popularly known as Bobi Wine said those arrested included parliamentary candidates, mobilisers, and local residents, all of whom were taken to Mbarara Central Police Station on unspecified charges.
“The detained include our Member of Parliament candidates, foot soldiers, supporters, and residents who had accompanied us all the way from Mbarara High School playground where we had held our first rally,” Kyagulanyi said.
He alleged that several supporters were injured during “severe beatings” at the time of arrest and claimed that “many of them are still handcuffed even when they are inside police cells.”
By Saturday, police were still hesitant to reveal the exact number of NUP members in their cells and the charges they plan to plan prefer against them .
According to Kyagulanyi, the latest arrests bring the total number of detained NUP supporters to over 130 in recent days, including 10 reportedly held in Lira Prison and another 20 in Kiruhura Prison.
“We are calling on the regime to release all our comrades because they are clearly innocent,” Kyagulanyi said. “The real criminals are the goons in yellow that were clearly captured on camera.”
He accused the government of trying to disrupt opposition activities ahead of next January General Election , but vowed to continue with his campaign rallies in all the remaining districts as scheduled.
“We know that the regime intends to break our spirit, cut our pace, and derail us from pursuing our common goal of liberation,” he said. “We are not giving up.”
In a statement issued Friday, police said the arrests in Mbarara City were connected to an earlier incident in Northern Uganda, where officers trailing Kyagulanyi’s convoy were allegedly attacked on the route from Lira to Alebtong on October 29.
“Several arrests have been made in Mbarara targeting individuals with criminal records, including assaulting officers, destroying government property, and those that obstructed officers on duty,” the police statement read in part.
Police reiterated that they remain committed to ensuring the safety of all candidates but “will not tolerate criminality or disorder,” warning political actors against engaging in acts of violence during the campaign period.
Authorities also urged all candidates to observe electoral guidelines and maintain peace as campaigns gain momentum ahead of the 2026 General Elections.