MUBENDE, Uganda – Security forces arrested two NUP leaders in Mubende just hours before President Yoweri Museveni’s scheduled visit to launch major USMID road projects in the region.
The Special Forces Command (SFC) detained Pafuladito Kyeyune, the National Unity Platform (NUP) chairperson for Mubende, and Damusen Kakooza, a councillor representing Kalonga Sub-county.
Kyeyune was reportedly parked outside Shell Kakumiro Road Supermarket in a vehicle displaying images of NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, when traffic police flagged him down.
Witnesses say the situation escalated when SFC operatives arrived. They allegedly pulled Kyeyune from the vehicle by force. During the incident, Kakooza—who was filming the arrest—was also seized and taken into custody.
The two were transported to Mubende Central Police Station, though authorities have not yet confirmed any formal charges. Their detention occurs amidst tightened security in anticipation of President Museveni’s high-profile commissioning of infrastructure projects funded by the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) program.
The arrests have sparked fresh concerns about political repression in the region. NUP supporters argue that the timing appears calculated to suppress political dissent and prevent opposition visibility during the president’s visit.
