The Secretary General of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Lewis Rubongoya, has refuted claims that the party was conducting unauthorized military drills at their headquarters.
He condemned the actions taken by the police at their party office in Kavule and their political training school in Kamwokya, asserting that they were not involved in any military activities.
Rubongoya also addressed the circulating videos and photos of their foot soldiers participating in a parade, stating that there is no law in Uganda that prohibits NUP supporters from holding a parade.
“No law in this country prohibits NUP supporters from holding a parade,” he said.
He further denied the claims made by security agencies that the party was engaging in military activities, emphasizing that NUP understands the boundaries of the law and would never violate it.
“We were not involved in any military activities; we understand the boundaries of the law and, therefore, cannot violate it,” the Secretary General said.
Rubongoya described the police’s forceful entry into their office as robbery, noting that if the police had issued a search warrant, the situation could have been handled more effectively.
“If they were carrying out a search warrant, it could have been handled much more effectively. Had they informed us in advance, we would have fully cooperated. However, what the police did was nothing short of robbery,” he stated.
On Friday, February 21, 2025, the police broke into the NUP offices at Kavule and Kamwokya, confiscating many of the party’s belongings.