OPINION: Blocking NUP’s grand party headquarters exposes Museveni’s criminal regime the more

By Daniel Kawuma

Today, on the 2nd of November, 2023, the Museveni regime once again demonstrated its cowardice by blocking the National Unity Platform (NUP) from holding the grand opening of its new political party headquarters in Makerere Kavule, Kawempe Division, Uganda. 

In a stunning display of hypocrisy, the regime cited a supposed lack of sufficient security forces, yet it deployed a heavily armed police and military presence to obstruct the event, despite no request for their presence. Such actions underline why members of the Museveni regime face travel sanctions, Uganda’s business environment is downgraded, and President Biden expelled Uganda from the AGOA trade agreement. This underscores Uganda’s troubling human rights record and the reason the Museveni regime faces allegations of crimes against Ugandans at the ICC, including the plight of civilians like John Bosco Kibalama, missing for over three years after being abducted. It further explains the prolonged ordeal of individuals like Olivia Lutaaya and other NUP supporters, facing military detention without trial under a regime that claims to uphold multi-party politics.

Just as during the presidential campaigns, the Museveni regime utilizes Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), exemplified by Mr Yasin Ndidde, to stifle opposition activities on the ground. Raids on party offices, abductions, obstruction of political activities, missing Ugandans, and human rights violations have recently driven opposition members of parliament to boycott parliamentary activities—a testament to the heavy-handedness of the Museveni regime.

While tourists fall victim to a lack of security in national parks, the regime deploys its military to surveil and obstruct opposition political activities. This raises questions about where this security force is when tourists are attacked in our national parks or when civilians are tragically killed, as witnessed in Kasese and the student massacres. The Museveni regime appears to concentrate its military and security forces on targeting the opposition instead of ensuring the safety and protection of the Ugandan people. It is evident that Uganda urgently needs a change in leadership, one that prioritizes the interests of the people over the Museveni regime.

The writer, Dr. Daniel Kawuma is the NUP Diaspora Team Leader based in the US.