LIRA, Uganda — The National Unity Platform (NUP) has condemned what it calls a “barbaric act of intimidation” after police raided a Lira City hotel hosting opposition leader Bobi Wine and his campaign team on Tuesday night. The raid followed an alleged attack on a police surveillance vehicle earlier that day — an accusation the party dismisses as fabricated.
Bobi Wine, speaking to journalists outside the hotel on Wednesday morning, said the incident was part of a wider pattern of harassment against the opposition as Uganda gears up for the 2026 general elections. “They broke into rooms in the middle of the night without any explanation,” Wine said. “This is meant to instill fear and disrupt our campaign.”
According to Wine, the police claimed they were searching for two NUP members — Geoffrey Onzima, alias Tower, and Andrew Natumanya, known as Ninye Tabz — accused of attacking a police vehicle and stealing equipment. He, however, dismissed the allegations as “an excuse to justify a politically motivated operation.”
“Seven of the fifteen comrades arrested last night have since been released,” he said, adding that one of the party’s vans was impounded and the hotel receptionist detained. “Even our comrade Dan Magic was denied the chance to record a statement, showing the impunity at play.”
Police sources say the raid stemmed from an incident on October 28 along the Lira–Alebtong highway near Obot Primary School. A North Kyoga police report alleges that NUP “foot soldiers” ambushed a police surveillance vehicle (UP 4816), punctured its tyres, and made off with a laptop, diesel cans, and personal items.
SP Julius Okema, the regional police spokesperson, said the attackers believed the vehicle was carrying a network jammer used to interfere with NUP’s communications as the convoy moved across eastern and northern districts. A case of robbery and malicious damage was registered at Bar Sub-county Police Station, with 15 suspects arrested and efforts ongoing to capture the main suspect, Tower.
The police raid unfolded around 8:00 p.m. when heavily armed officers from the Field Force Unit stormed Lira City Hotel, where Wine and his entourage were staying after their planned stop in Soroti was rained out. In a live TikTok broadcast, Wine showed plain-clothed operatives entering rooms and detaining members of his team. Witnesses described tension as vehicles with covered number plates surrounded the premises.
For NUP, the operation is the latest in a series of confrontations that have defined its political journey since the 2021 elections. The party insists that the state is using law enforcement to silence dissent. “We are not criminals; we are Ugandans demanding fairness,” Wine said. “This regime fears the voice of the people.”
The incident adds to the growing unease ahead of the January 2026 elections, where Wine is expected to challenge President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled since 1986. International observers and human rights groups have previously raised concerns about restrictions on opposition activities and police brutality during campaigns.
As investigations continue, police maintain they are pursuing legitimate suspects, while NUP vows to continue its campaign trail in Abim and Kotido. The events in Lira, however, have reignited debate over Uganda’s political climate — testing once again the delicate balance between state security operations and the constitutional right to political freedom.
