Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine accuses police chief of lying to justify crackdown

Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu better known as Bobi Wine, accused the country’s police chief on Monday of spreading falsehoods to justify the use of force against his supporters during ongoing political campaigns ahead of the 2026 presidential election.

Speaking to reporters at his home in Magere, Kyadondo East before departing for a rally in Luwero District, Kyagulanyi rejected recent remarks by Inspector General of Police Abbas Byakagaba, who commended officers for what he described as firm action against opposition members who allegedly violated electoral guidelines.

Kyagulanyi said the police allegations – that his supporters hold rallies beyond permitted hours, stage illegal processions and provoke security forces – were “complete fabrications” designed to sanitize brutality.

“I have preached non-violence in every single speech. That alone exposes the lie that we are violent or provocative,” he told journalists.

The former pop star, who came second in the disputed 2021 presidential election, said police roadblocks routinely delay his campaign convoys for hours, while ruling party candidates face no such restrictions.

He cited an event in Mbarara last week in which President Yoweri Museveni led a large motorcade that included police vehicles transporting supporters and blocked major roads – actions the opposition says would lead to arrests if carried out by his own supporters.

Kyagulanyi also dismissed police claims that opposition members assault officers, saying all campaign activities are filmed in daylight.

“Everything is on camera. If we had touched even one policeman, it would be on every television station by now,” he said.

Security forces have repeatedly used tear gas, batons and live ammunition to disperse opposition rallies since the 2021 vote, drawing criticism from rights groups. The government maintains that police intervene only when campaign rules are broken.

Kyagulanyi’s NUP is campaigning under the slogan “protest vote “ and has urged supporters to deliver a “protest vote” in 2026 against Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.