Rubongoya escapes alleged abduction attempt by notorious Gen Muhoozi militants

The National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, narrowly escaped what he described as an attempted abduction by heavily armed men in a drone vehicle on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Kisasi, Kampala. Whisper Eye News Reports

The incident, which has heightened tensions ahead of the 2026 general elections, was detailed in a statement Rubongoya posted on X, sparking widespread concern over the safety of opposition leaders.

According to Rubongoya, the incident followed suspicious activity the previous day when soldiers linked to Gen Muhoozi Notorious SFC were observed taking pictures of his vehicle and making frantic calls as he left the NUP office based in Kavule.

On Tuesday, a group of armed men traveling in a drone—a type of vehicle often associated with security operations in under the command of Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba tailed his car.

Around Kisasi, the men exited the vehicle, surrounded Rubongoya’s car, and forcibly opened its doors to conduct a search.

“Thankfully, I was not in the vehicle at the time,” Rubongoya stated. The men, disappointed to find he was not present, questioned the driver, NUP comrade Norbert Ariho, about Rubongoya’s whereabouts. Ariho, who said he did not know, was reportedly harassed before the armed men drove off after finding nothing in the vehicle.

Rubongoya , an advocate condemned the incident, asserting that NUP members are not criminals and should not be subjected to such intimidation. “If you suspect any of us of committing any offence, summon us at police instead of waylaying us and behaving like thugs” he wrote.

The statement was accompanied by calls from NUP supporters and various political activists on X, who labeled the incident an act of state-sponsored harassment by Muhoozi who has always confirmed arresting and abducting Eddie Mutwe a personal bodyguard of NUP Leader Ho. Robert Kyagulanyi .

One post identified a numberless drone allegedly belonging to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), though these claims remain unverified.

The incident comes amid escalating political tensions in Uganda, with less than a year until the January 2026 presidential election.

The NUP, led by Robert Kyagulanyi (popularly known as Bobi Wine), has repeatedly accused the Museveni and his son Muhoozi led government of cracking down on its supporters and members through abductions, arrests, and military intimidation.

Earlier this month, the party threatened legal action against the embattled Electoral Commission for allegedly excluding NUP youth members from village youth committee elections.

The use of drone vehicles in alleged abductions has been a recurring issue in Uganda. Reports dating back to 2021 document similar vehicles being used to transport activists and opposition supporters, often under brutal conditions. Last Friday, the same drones raided NUP headquarters during which Edward Sebuufu, commonly known as Eddie Yawe was allegedly abducted by the Special Forces Command, an elite military unit under Muhoozi command.

Uganda’s political climate has drawn international scrutiny, with human rights organizations warning of possible “mass atrocities” around the 2026 election. The U.S.-based Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Committee to Protect Journalists have highlighted increasing violence against opposition figures and media personnel. In May 2025, Human Rights Watch criticized a new bill allowing military trials of civilians, arguing it poses “grave risks” to political opposition.

The Ugandan police and military have yet to issue an official statement on the incident involving Rubongoya. Acting military spokesperson then Chris Magezi recently told the Committee to Protect Journalists that the armed forces were investigating reports of assaults on journalists during a March 2025 by-election, but no updates have been provided on similar probes into opposition harassment.