Ugandan police blocked the final campaign rally of Erias Nalukoola Luyimbazi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate for the Kawempe North parliamentary by-election, scheduled for March 13, 2025.
The rally, planned at Bwaise 1 in Kampala, was halted on the grounds that the location fell along a route designated for President Yoweri Museveni’s use, effectively sidelining the opposition’s last major public event before the vote.
This development, reported through a post on X by NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi.
Nalukoola, a lawyer and NUP flagbearer, had organized the Bwaise 1 rally to rally support in a constituency known as an opposition stronghold, following a tumultuous campaign marked by arrests, alleged abductions, and confrontations with security forces.
The police decision to redirect NUP to Komamboga, where the candidate already campaigned, was framed as a logistical necessity rather than a political maneuver.
However, NUP leaders rejected this explanation, arguing that the move effectively barred them from campaigning across all parishes of Kawempe North, a critical area in the race to replace the late MP Muhammad Ssegirinya. The blockade aligns with a pattern of restrictions faced by NUP throughout the campaign.
Earlier incidents included Nalukoola’s arrest shortly after his nomination and the detention of NUP MPs and supporters during rallies.
Supporters gathered in Bwaise despite the blockade, leading to a reported standoff with police, who deployed to enforce the rerouting. The move has drawn parallels to historical clampdowns on opposition activities.