Tension is mounting ahead of the 2026 general elections following the arrest of Habib Buwembo, the Head of Mobilisation for the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).
Buwembo was taken into custody along with Ronald Katabala and Josephine Nakakembo, police confirmed on Tuesday. Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson SP Rachael Kawala said the trio is being held at an undisclosed police facility and will be presented before court in due course.
“The Uganda Police Force confirms the arrest of Buwembo Habib, Katabala Ronald, and Nakakembo Josephine. They are currently in police custody and will be arraigned before court,” Kawala said.
The arrests come just hours after NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, widely known as Bobi Wine, raised alarm on social media, claiming that Buwembo had been violently abducted along Masaka Road.
“We have been informed of the abduction of our Head of Mobilisation, comrade Buwembo Habib. He was taken alongside comrades Jamila Wa Bobi and Batabaale Ronald, who is also a candidate,” Kyagulanyi wrote.
However, police have yet to clarify the circumstances under which Buwembo was arrested, fueling confusion and speculation—particularly after discrepancies emerged between the police account and the version given by NUP leadership regarding those detained.
As the election season intensifies, the incident adds to growing concerns over the treatment of opposition figures, with many questions still unanswered.
