NUP ensuring campaigns remain peaceful, says Rubongoya
The Opposition party’s secretary general, Lewis Rubongoya, says they do not want a repeat of past events that saw some party members and supporters clash with law enforcement, resulting in arrests.
NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine briefs his team before setting off to Kaliro and Luuka at Brisk recreation hotel Triangle, jinja. (Photos by Richard Sanya)
By John Masaba
Journalists @New Vision
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The National Unity Platform (NUP) says it is working to ensure that the ongoing campaign exercise remains peaceful and free of confrontation.
The Opposition party’s secretary general, Lewis Rubongoya, says they do not want a repeat of past events that saw some party members and supporters clash with law enforcement, resulting in arrests.
He has, however, urged the security forces to exercise fairness during the campaign period so that their candidates can reach voters without hindrance.
Rubongoya made the remarks in Jinja on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, ahead of presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi’s aka Bobi Wine, continued tour of the Busoga region in the battle for votes.
“If you look at the Public Order Management Act and other laws, processions are permitted. We don’t want anyone to think that processions are allowed for other parties but not for NUP,” he said.
“What the Police can do is regulate them, because we don’t want to obstruct other road users.”
Road carsh and concerns
The remarks come in the wake of a serious road crash involving an NUP motorcade a day earlier that left several people injured.
Preliminary reports indicate that a motorcycle in the convoy, travelling at high speed, collided with a vehicle from behind, triggering a chain reaction in which multiple motorcycles crashed into one another.
Following this, a white Mitsubishi vehicle, registration number UAZ 064H, displaying images of the NUP aspirant, also collided with the motorcycles involved in the crash.
“The accident has been officially recorded at Naggalama Police Station,” Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma said.
“The vehicles involved include the Mitsubishi UAZ 064H and motorcycles with registration numbers UFQ 569H, UGH 892B, UEK 351T, UFQ 250Q, among others, which have since been removed from the site.”
According to the Police, most of the injured were motorcycle riders or passengers. The victims include Bashir Kewanza, 27; Bashir Kakaire, 35; Musa Ssepereza, 40; Michael Kisomba, 28, from Nansana; Eric Ssewaya, 23; and Robert Mutagubya, 24.
Police say initial investigations point to reckless riding and driving as the primary cause of the accident.
“You’ve seen on many occasions that we keep to one side of the road so that other users can pass. But the Police always seem to focus on NUP,” Rubongoya said.
“I think they are trying to find an excuse to be violent.”
He cited an incident on Tuesday where Kyagulanyi was prevented from campaigning in Buyende at Bukungu Landing Site.
“Maybe they wanted to provoke us into a fight, but we refused. We simply said, ‘Let’s turn back and go," he said.
Speaking shortly afterwards, Kyagulanyi acknowledged that some mistakes might have been made by his team.
“I wish to inform you that the Police are looking for any fault,” he said. “Make sure you protect not only our team but also other road users. They are looking for a mistake from us, so don’t give them any.”
On Wednesday, Kyagulanyi is set to campaign in Kaliro before heading to Luuka later in the day.