NUP members' arrest over ‘unlawful drilling’ was legal, say Police

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Uganda Police has pushed back against claims by Opposition politicians, particularly from the National Unity Platform (NUP), that recent arrests of its members amount to abductions. 

Police Spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma made the remarks during the weekly joint security press briefing on Monday, September 15, 2025, at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala.

Kituuma stated that the arrests followed due legal process and were based on violations of the Penal Code, specifically regarding unlawful paramilitary training, also referred to as “unlawful drilling.”

“It is within our mandate. When we come at the end of the year and give you annual crime statistics, we tell you how many people we arrested, how many we took to court, and also those we did not proceed with,” Kituuma said.

“Now, if we were to go by what the politicians of NUP are insinuating, it would almost mean that every single person who goes through Police custody is an abductee. That is not true.”

He dismissed the narrative being pushed by some Opposition politicians and bloggers as an attempt to politicise lawful Police work.

“There are persons within NUP who, on a good day, engage in an unlawful drilling operation. We carried out an investigation. So far, 10 suspects have been arrested. Nine have already appeared in court, and the tenth is expected to appear shortly,” he said.

He clarified that all suspects were handled according to the law and had not been kidnapped, as some social media reports suggested.

“These people were arrested and aligned before the court. They were not kidnapped. I even hear some journalists asking where the kidnapped people are — yet the same journalists attend our press briefings where we announce these arrests,” Kituuma said.

No one is above the law

Kituuma stressed that no one is above the law, including lawmakers.

“Every Ugandan is subject to the law, even those who are not. If you have immunity, the law should say so. Some of the complainants are lawmakers. These laws are in our statute books. God knows why they do not challenge them in Parliament — a platform they enjoy more than even the police,” he said pointedly.

“The offence of unlawful drilling is very clear. It’s there in the Penal Code. You went to Parliament for five years. You never challenged it. Now you want to challenge it using bloggers? That’s not how we are going to work.”

He also addressed concerns about the manner of arrests and police discretion.

“Police have the discretion either to call you or arrest you. And we can arrest you from anywhere within this country. If it’s outside, we follow international protocols,” Kituuma asserted.

“You can’t commit an offence and then dictate how we should come for you. That’s assuming too much.”

Kituuma reiterated that the Uganda Police adheres to due process.

“Anybody who comes into contact with the police — two things will happen: they shall either be taken to court or released. It is not within our powers to perpetually hold anyone in custody,” he said.

“Let’s make this very clear: Do not dictate how Police do their work. The dictates are already within the statute books.”

The Police urged the public and political actors to respect lawful procedures and allow investigations to proceed unhindered.