Security operatives irk Nandala over roadblocks on campaign trail

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FDC presidential candidate for the 2026 General Election Nathan Nandala Mafabi has threatened to take legal action against individual policemen and the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers involved in staging countless roadblocks with the aim of stopping him from reaching out to voters to campaign.

Nandala expressed his frustration over Police and army interference while they diverted him on his way to Nakapiripirit, in Morukaajore National Park, Nadunget, in Namalu, and near Moroto Municipality where he spent more than four hours till late.

“We are compiling evidence to drag individual Police officers and soldiers to the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) because your conduct has been negative with excessive force and impunity to intimidate us,” Nandala threatened.

The security used police trucks and vehicles to block FDC supporters from accessing presidential candidate Nandala Mafabi in Moroto municipaity. (Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba)

The security used police trucks and vehicles to mount road blocks in Mororo distrct on Monday. (Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba)

In Moroto, the Police erected blocker tyre barriers to deny Nandala and his supporters access the municipal town and restricting his right to assemble peacefully, he complained.

“If you want to arrest anyone, come and arrest me. If you want to shoot anyone, come and shoot me. We shall deal with you individually if you continue to disrupt us,” he lamented.

Addressing his supporters near Moroto market at around 8:00pm in the evening, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party's Mafabi vowed to seek legal redress over what he termed as selective application of the law with the motive of curtailing Opposition politicians from addressing the masses.

“Our campaign schedule is supposed to end at exactly 6:00pm but we were blocked on the way countless times by Police trucks and pick-up vehicles to stop us from campaigning. If President [Yoweri] Museveni knew that he was not prepared for democracy, why did he accept political campaigns,” Mafabi said.

“According to the electoral commission programme, Nandala Mafabi was supposed to campaign in Nakapiripirit and Moroto districts. Why are you diverting us to from meeting our people when it is campaign time?” FDC president Patrick Oboi Amuriat asked.

Previously, National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi had threatened to suspend his campaigns complaining that he was harassed with countless roadblocks hindering his campaign activities.

“The Police have been deploying heavily to block our mobilisation tours by diverting our supporters from the main routes to longer routes which has crippled us financially,” he claimed.

Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi, while appearing in the House yesterday also criticised what he termed as the growing involvement of Police and the army in partisan activities citing instances where security personnel have allegedly openly campaigned for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party candidates, tearing down Opposition campaign posters and intimidating locals from supporting candidates of their choices.

Ssenyonyi warned that the misuse of public institutions for partisan purposes threatens the integrity of the electoral process as the country heads to 2026 general elections.

Nandala to resettle the ‘landless’ Karamojong

Nandala assured to resettle the landless Karimojong that he said were evicted from Morukaajore National Park in Nakapiripirit and all other parts of Karamoja region.

“I personally donated my land in Namataba to resettle the landless Karimojong who were evicted from their lands by gold dealers who have been operating in the region. Give FDC a chance to develop Karamoja because you have been voting NRM for 40 years but change has never happened in your lives,” he emphasised.

He expressed outrage over the eviction of residents from Narait which government claims is a gazetted game reserve.

“I am here to help you fight land grabbing from your ancestral soils. They started grabbing your mineral resources and the government has been snatching away tourism funds from you to other areas of the country when you are suffering abject poverty,” he said.