Police say NUP's Kyagulanyi defied 'agreed-upon route' to Iganga rally

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Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu said he was blocked from proceeding to Iganga Municipality in Iganga district for a scheduled campaign rally. Police said the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential flagbearer and his team had been advised to follow an "agreed-upon route" to the municipality but that he chose another course. Feeling hard done by, the musician-turned-politician said he hoped to engage the national Electoral Commission over the matter.

In brief, that was an episode from Kyagulanyi's campaign trail on Friday (October 3). But up until the moment he hit that cul-de-sac, his day's script had gone to plan. 

Earlier, the two-time presidential candidate had successfully addressed his first rally of the day in Mayuge district. There, he had preached, among other things, his value addition plans for Busoga to industrialize the sub-region and also promised to introduce feeding programmes in schools countrywide to encourage learners to remain in school.

From Mayuge, the next stop would be Iganga for his camp's second campaign rally of the day. And off they had gone!

However, along the way, a roadblock threw a spanner in the works.

"We have been blocked from campaigning in Iganga Municipality, with the military and police insisting that we must go to a different constituency or cancel our campaigns in the district," wrote NUP secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya on social media platform X.

"We have made it clear that just like other candidates, we have every right to campaign in every constituency in Uganda, including Iganga Municipality!" he added.

Rubongoya accompanied his post with pictures, including one showing him engaging the Police team. His boss, Kyagulanyi, also posted on X, sharing similar sentiments.

"Although two other presidential candidates have so far campaigned in Iganga Municipality, the RDC, RPC and DPC in Iganga have insisted that we must not campaign in Iganga Municipality," said the NUP leader.

The two presidential candidates he was referring to are James Nathan Nandala Mafabi (pictured below) of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) on Wednesday and Mubarak Munyagwa of the Common Man's Party (CMP) on Thursday.

Seemingly frustrated, Kyagulanyi said they had decided to "postpone our campaign in Iganga", hoping to engage the Electoral Commission for clarity.

Later, the Police came out to "clarify" what had happened.

In a statement, the Police said that after successfully holding their rally in Mayuge, Kyagulanyi and co were "advised to follow the agreed-upon route to Iganga Municipality and specifically to Namungale Grounds".

Adding: "However, they opted to take an alternative route where they encountered our cutoffs. Consequently, they decided to head to Jinja city and cancelled their campaign in Iganga.

"We urge him [Kyagulanyi] and his team to adhere to security guidelines to ensure smooth and peaceful campaigns".

What next for Kyagulanyi?

Kyagulanyi, who is a former MP for Kyadondo East, has been campaigning in Busoga sub-region since the start of the presidential campaigns on Monday this week.

In pursuit of Uganda's top job, he has so far preached his manifesto message in Jinja city (where it all started), Buyende, Kamuli, Kaliro, Luuka, Bugweri, Namutumba and Mayuge districts.

With the Iganga rally "postponed" as per now, President Yoweri Museveni's closest challenger in the 2021 election is scheduled to take his campaign to Namayingo and Bugiri districts on Saturday (October 4).

The race for Uganda's State House is featuring eight candidates, and all representing a party.

Kyagulanyi is seeking to unseat incumbent Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) alongside FDC's Mafabi, CMP's Munyagwa, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), Joseph Mabirizi of the Conservative Party (CP), Frank Bulira Kabinga of the Revolutionary People’s Party (RPP) and Robert Kasibante of the National Peasants Party (NPP).

Mafabi, Munyagwa, Kabinga and Kasibante are the only first-timers in this all-male presidential race.