Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine reported that security forces besieged his party headquarters on Monday, just a day before a planned anti-corruption march that authorities have banned.
This move comes two days after President Yoweri Museveni, who has led Uganda for nearly four decades, warned citizens planning to protest on Tuesday that they were “playing with fire.”
Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, told reporters that the National Unity Platform (NUP) headquarters in Kavule, a suburb of the Ugandan capital Kampala, were surrounded by heavily armed police and military personnel.
“Our headquarters are under siege by heavily armed police and the military. This was expected by the regime but we are not giving up on the struggle to liberate Uganda,” Wine declared.
Ugandan authorities have a history of cracking down on the NUP and Wine, a popstar-turned-politician who ran against Museveni in the 2021 elections.
“As Ugandans march to parliament to protest tomorrow, they should be aware that the regime is ready to shed their blood to stay in power, but this should not scare anyone. We want a country where we all belong, not just for the few in power,” Wine added.
On Saturday, Ugandan police informed the organizers that the anti-corruption protest planned for Tuesday in Kampala would not be permitted.
“Some elements have been planning illegal demonstrations, riots. You are playing with fire,” Museveni warned in a televised address.
The protesters, mostly young Ugandans, are demanding an end to government corruption and have been inspired by recent demonstrations in neighboring Kenya. Museveni accused the protest organizers of collaborating with foreign entities to incite chaos in Uganda and emphasized that the government would not tolerate disruptions to the country’s progress.
“We are busy producing wealth… and you here want to disturb us. You are playing with fire because we cannot allow you to disturb us,” Museveni stated.
