Kampala, Uganda – Fifteen supporters of National Unity Platform (NUP) have been remanded to Luzira Prison after being charged with allegedly defacing campaign posters of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The accused, most of whom were arrested from their homes in Rubaga Division, Kampala, were arraigned before court on Monday and are expected to reappear on July 29 for mention of the case.
According to police charge sheets issued by the Nateete Police Division, the group is accused of unlawfully tearing and defacing posters bearing the image of President Museveni, National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) presidential flag bearer, on July 14 at Busega Kibumbiro Zone in Kampala District.
The charge is based on Section 78 (2) of the Presidential Elections Act, which prohibits defacement of notices and campaign materials.
The accused include a diverse group of individuals, boda boda riders, welders, builders, businesspeople, and students, mainly from Rubaga Division.
The arrest and subsequent prosecution have drawn sharp criticism from NUP leadership and human rights activists.
David Lewis Rubongoya, NUP Secretary General, condemned the arrests in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), calling them politically motivated.
“15 NUP leaders and supporters were picked up from different places in Lubaga Division, some from their homes,” Rubongoya said.
“The real reason for their detention is because Gen. Museveni will be visiting Kampala, and they [the regime] must instill fear in the population in case they choose to protest.”
Rubongoya also questioned the integrity of the charges, noting that many NUP posters are routinely pulled down across the country with no legal repercussions for perpetrators.
“The same regime that sends thugs to remove our posters now charges our supporters for defacing Museveni’s posters, yet he is not even a candidate at this stage,” he argued.
He also revealed that many NUP leaders had gone into hiding following reports that security operatives were targeting opposition members ahead of the President’s visit to Kampala.
Legal experts and civil rights defenders have expressed concern over what they describe as selective application of the law and political repression disguised as law enforcement.
“This pattern of arresting opposition supporters on questionable grounds before major regime events is becoming predictable. It erodes confidence in the impartiality of our justice system.”
The group faces up to one year in prison if convicted under the Presidential Elections Act. Meanwhile, opposition figures have called for their immediate release and urged the Electoral Commission to ensure fairness and equal treatment across all political actors as the 2026 general election season approaches.
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