Police warn against provocation by politicians, supporters

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The Uganda Police Force on Monday, December 8, 2025, warned politicians and their supporters against continued acts of provocation.

Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said during a media briefing that security personnel had observed deliberate attempts to provoke officers.

He urged all candidates and their supporters to avoid violence and to respect electoral guidelines, noting that such behaviour endangers lives, property and public order.

“On December 2, 2025, rowdy supporters of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, obstructed and assaulted three police officers who were directing the candidate not to obstruct traffic flow in Wakiso district,” Rusoke said.

He also referred to an incident in Mbarara, where a motorcycle rider deliberately rammed into a police officer who was clearing traffic.

“On December 5, 2025, the District Security Committee (DSC) of Nwoya district, together with the National Unity Platform (NUP) campaign organising committee, agreed on a campaign venue in Patra. The presidential candidate suddenly defied the agreement between the DSC and his organising team and instead opted for an abrupt choice of Anaka trading centre. The next scheduled ground was a ground at the Pentecostal Assembly of God playground in Amuru district. He defiantly opted to proceed to Elegu border point but was blocked by security personnel at Palabek corner in Atiak subcounty,” Rusoke added.

Mbarara suspect arrested

Police in Mbarara last week said they had arrested a 27-year-old boda boda rider, Richard Agumaniiwe, a resident of Katojo cell in Katojo ward, Mbarara City South Division, over an alleged attempted murder of a senior police officer.

Rwizi region police spokesperson Samson Kasasira said Agumaniiwe, who appeared in a video circulating on social media, had been apprehended and was awaiting further legal action. He identified the victim as Kennedy Ocaya, the Officer in Charge of Mbarara City South Division.

“Preliminary findings show that the incident occurred on Monday, December 1, 2025, at around 4:00 pm at the Kikona–Ruti Town Road junction along the Mbarara–Kabale Road. Ochaya was on duty clearing the road for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s motorcade, which was moving from Rwampara district to Mbarara city for its second campaign rally of the day,” Kasasira said.

He added that the suspect, riding a Yamaha motorcycle registration number UAC 177Z, had been instructed to clear the road for the convoy but allegedly ignored the directive. He reportedly continued at high speed and intentionally knocked SP Ocaya, injuring him.

“The officer was rushed to a nearby health facility for first aid and is reported to be in stable condition,” he added.

Kasasira said the suspect appeared intoxicated at the time of arrest and was subjected to a breathalyser test as part of ongoing investigations.

Prior warnings from army 

The police warning follows a similar message from the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF). On December 4 2025, the army cautioned the NUP flagbearer, Robert Kyagulanyi, against using inflammable and divisive language that could fuel political violence.

Acting Director Defence Public Information, Col Chris Magezi, appealed to political leaders to campaign peacefully and within Electoral Commission guidelines and national laws.

“Security has noted with concern the continuous rhetoric by the NUP Presidential candidate calling upon his supporters to mob polling centres on election day and thereafter march to the capital, Kampala. He also encourages his supporters to be prepared to confront the security forces because, in his view, the police and UPDF would be outnumbered on the ground,” Col Magezi said.

He warned that such language was dangerous and could mislead young people into actions that put them at risk.

Col Magezi said, “If the NUP leader is in doubt about the capabilities of our armed forces, he should consult the al-Shabaab in Somalia, the Allied Democratic FDF and CODECO in DRC, or Joseph Kony and his defunct LRA in CAR, as well as other violent and negative groups in the region.”

He added that movements similar to the modern-day Alice Lakwena or the Kirumira Mutima group in the Ruwenzori region had no place in Uganda’s progress.

NUP accuses security of taking sides

Addressing the media on Monday morning before proceeding to Nakawa for his scheduled campaign activities, Kyagulanyi accused security agencies of taking sides and protecting groups he claimed had been deployed to disrupt his campaign activities.

He also criticised the Electoral Commission for issuing what he termed an inconclusive statement on the confrontation in Gulu on Saturday, where he accused soldiers armed with sticks of blocking access to his campaign venue.

“We know all this violence intends to break our resolve and shatter our hearts, but we are not relenting at any point because we are campaigning within the law and what we are doing is constitutional,” Kyagulanyi said.