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The Uganda police have indefinitely suspended the National Unity Platform’s (NUP) mobilization efforts due to widespread violations of rules and guidelines, resulting in public unrest, traffic congestion, property damage, and even fatalities.

The National Unity Platform’s (NUP) mobilization efforts have been put on indefinite hold by the police due to a lack of complaints.

Maj. Gen. Tumusiime Katsigazi, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, has suspended NUP operations in a letter dated September 13, 2023, until the party and its leadership are “complaint and law abiding.”

As required by section 32(1) of the Police Act, the Police last month gave the NUP authorization to conduct nationwide mobilization activities and the official inauguration of party offices.

Additional instructions on how the activities should be conducted reportedly included obtaining written permission from venue owners, holding gatherings in town halls or other appropriately enclosed spaces, and prohibiting processions, demonstrations, unrestricted rallies, acts of incitement to violence, or other public order management infractions.

Police have observed total violations of the rules in every area where NUP mobilization efforts have taken place, which has resulted in public unrest, unneeded traffic congestion, lost business, malicious property damage, and in some cases, fatalities.

For instance, in Mbarara City, NUP supporters allegedly destroyed a Toyota Hiace with the registration number UBD 251J, causing road accidents, one of which resulted in the death of Mugisa Norman and the serious injury of ten others on Monday.

According to a statement from Gen. Katsigazi, “the activities of the NUP are immediately suspended in light of the above blatant breaches of the guidelines.”

“We are sending this strong message, that our country, Uganda, will not wait for its villages, towns, Urban centers and cities to burn, before taking action to protect its citizens and property,” he said. 

We’ll put an end to the NUP radicals’ bullying, intimidation, and mob mentality techniques against law enforcement and innocent bystanders.

The mobilization action in Kasana-Luweero District, according to the police, was used to encourage violence, foster sectarianism, make illegitimate calls for the overthrow of an elected government, and issue defamatory accusations against the President.