Ugly scenes of violence played out on Saturday afternoon when some 50 youth stormed the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party rally venue at Awere Sports Ground in Bardege-Layibi Division in Gulu City.
The venue had been prepared to host the last campaign rally of NUP’s presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine.
The street gangs, who identified themselves as Ghetto Youth and were armed with bottles, stones, and sticks, stormed the venue at around 2:10 pm, went on a rampage, and attacked on sight anyone they found at the venue.
The violence lasted for about 10 minutes before the gangs were overpowered by Bobi Wine’s supporters. At least five people were injured in the fracas.
The marauding gangs also damaged three vehicles, including the public address system belonging to the Opposition leader’s campaign team. One unidentified man was hacked with a machete by the gangs as police watched without taking action.
The gangs also vandalised three motorcycles and later rampaged through Awach Road, Lagara Road, Andrea Olal Road, and Coronation Road, attacking motorists and robbing merchandise from shops as police and the army looked on.
The Ghetto Youth, comprising young men and women, was formed early this year to solicit support for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party leaders, and have in their ranks notorious members blamed for substance abuse, violent robberies, and house break-ins in Gulu City.
At the same time, a group of boda boda riders donning yellow T-shirts roared at breakneck speed through the major streets in Gulu’s central business district.
The ensuing chaos, theft, and heavy deployment forced traders in Gulu City to close their shops as the gangs attacked anyone on sight.
Despite the violence and mayhem no single suspect was arrested as the gangs retreated. Curiously, both the police and army looked away but kept a close watch on the Bobi Wine supporters.
Just some 500 metres from the scene, at Kaunda Grounds, was the centre of the Gulu Marathon. But the participants remained safe from the goons since they were shielded by heavy security.
Mr Kyagulanyi later at a rally accused the NRM party officials of hiring street gangs and security operatives to block his rally in Gulu City.
Several attempts to get a comment from the local NRM party leaders in Gulu City were futile as none of them picked up or returned our repeated calls by press time.
But Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the NRM party communication director, while speaking on the Capital Gang radio talk show in Kampala, denounced the ugly scenes of violence.
‘What happened in Gulu and Nwoya is very uncalled for. NUP doesn’t have support in the north, and everyone knows that, when you beat them, you give them what to talk about.
“These beatings are not sanctioned by the President; these people think that they are protecting the President, and yet in one way or another, they are killing the support. You can’t beat people in the name of protecting someone. These incidents must be investigated,’ he said.
As Bobi Wine arrived in Gulu City at around 4:40pm, armed security personnel blocked his route with armoured cars, anti-riot vehicles, and double-cabin pick-up trucks belonging to the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF).
Bobi Wine was headed to his last campaign rally at Awere Sports Ground after holding a similar one in Awach Town Council, in Gulu District, 20 miles North-East of Gulu City.
The log jam from the standoff lasted about 15 minutes in front of the Bank of Uganda Gulu Regional Offices on the busy Airfield Road in the heart of Gulu City.
Bobi Wine pleaded in vain with the commanders for some 10 minutes before disembarking from his car to walk to the venue as the situation quickly turned chaotic, with Bobi Wine’s civilian bodyguards shielding him from the charging armed police and army personnel.
The stand-off also saw six of Bobi Wine’s supporters injured and vehicles vandalised. Among those injured was Mr Daniel Oyirwoth, alias Dan Magic, one of Bobi Wine’s close allies. Mr Oyirwoth sustained a deep cut on the crown of his head and face after being assaulted.
He looked visibly distressed after being repeatedly lashed with sticks and hit with batons. But Mr Oyirwoth continued the journey on foot with Bobi Wine even as he bled. Bobi Wine, who had abandoned his car, was seen comforting him.
Mr Kyagulanyi and fans then walked and ran on Gulu Avenue before walking through Andrea Olal Road, via Awach Road to the rally venue at Awere Grounds, some 5 kilometres, where he was welcomed by his ecstatic and chanting supporters. Mr Kyagulanyi told the crowds that his life was in danger.
‘My life is in danger. The NRM hired goons to attack my supporters. Some of them were injured,’ Mr Kyagulanyi told his cheering crowd.
He added: ‘Even if IGP Abbas Byakagaba is aware that I should hold a rally here, the police and UPDF do not want me to have one. They want to block me so that I reach here after 6pm.’
Mr Kyagulanyi told his supporters that he will never give up. He also told the security forces that the world is watching them.
‘The international community is seeing what is happening here. The injustice. The double standard,’ he warned.
Mr Kyagulanyi urged Ugandans to vote for a new Uganda on January 15, 2026, so that they have the freedom that they have been yearning for.
Police, UPDF respond
Mr David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa West Region Police spokesperson, said they are investigating the violent incidents.
‘On December 2, Honourable Kyagulanyi Robert, alias Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform (NUP) party presidential candidate, held his campaign rally at Bar Awere grounds in Gulu City,’ he said on Sunday morning.
Mr Mudong added: ‘He entered Gulu City through the Gulu-Kitgum road via Unyama after reaching the Bank of Uganda junction. He defied the agreed route and decided to use the Main Street on foot, and he had some scuffles with officers as they pleaded with him to use the agreed route.However, he successfully managed to use the Main Street up to his rally venue at around 1647hrs and addressed a gathering of approximately 300 people up to 1743hrs.”
The acting Director of Defence Public Information, Col Chris Magezi, said the army could not allow Mr Kyagulanyi and his fans to disturb the peace of the people while they look on.
He added that only Bobi Wine, just as did four-time Opposition presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye before him, has issues with the security forces.
‘Why is it that the other seven candidates have no problem? He is defiant. He is confrontational. He is trying to copy Dr Besigye, who tried to behave like that for a long time, but it did not serve him very well.’ He called on the Opposition leader to respect the law.
‘What does it take away from their campaign? It is simply that they believe ‘if we are confrontational, we shall grab headlines.’ I think capture global attention,’ Col Magezi stated. He added:’The security forces have a responsibility not just towards the participating political candidates…No one is out of control.’
Bobi Wine timeline in Acholi Sub-region
Last Thursday, NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi campaigned in Oyam and Omoro districts. He arrived at Omoro at about 4pm and was welcomed by hundreds of supporters. He ended his rally before 6pm, the official deadline for campaigns, and proceeded to Gulu City, where he spent the night at Kacoke Madit Hotel.
Friday morning, Mr Kyagulanyi headed to Nwoya District, made a stopover and addressed supporters as his motorcade parked on one side of the road, allowing traffic to flow uninterrupted. But on approaching Anaka Town Council, Nwoya’s biggest town, a police truck blocked the road, forcing Mr Kyagulanyi and his team to go off-road in order to bypass.
Upon arrival at Anaka Town, the NUP team encountered supporters holding posters of President Museveni and wearing NRM T-shirts.
They taunted Mr Kyagulanyi and team, signalling he was not wanted in the area. Mr Kyagulanyi ignored them, but the NRM supporters turned wild when Mr Kyagulanyi began addressing the crowd that had gathered to listen to him.
Police officers who were deployed to the rally remained unbothered as Mr Kyagulanyi condemned them for not restraining the NRM supporters. Police then reluctantly restrained the NRM supporters.
A significant number of unarmed prison wardens were also present. It was unclear what their role was. Among the rowdy NRM supporters was a man clad in attire resembling an army uniform and appeared to be their leader. Mr Kyagulanyi’s campaigns in Nwoya were cut short and he made a U-turn and headed to Amuru District for a rally on Friday.
He was well received in Pabbo Town in Amuru, where he addressed the voters uninterrupted and later headed to Elegu, on the Uganda-South Sudan border.
But UPDF and police personnel blocked him at Atiak Town Council in Amuru District. Mr Kyagulanyi pleaded with them in vain and ended up singing his revolutionary songs and the national anthem as his supporters sang along. Finally at 6pm, police opened the way and Mr Kyagulanyi and his supporters proceeded to Atiak Town where he had planned to spend Friday night. But security personnel again stopped him, forcing him to stop in Adjumani District where he stayed overnight.
On Saturday morning, Mr Kyagulanyi was hosted by Radio Amani, a radio station in Adjumani. He then made a procession through Adjumani Town, attracting a huge crowd. Mr Kyagulanyi held his first rally of the day in Cesia playground in Adjumani Town at about 11am and concluded his rally in Adjumani without any interference by security perseonnel. He proceeded to Gulu City for his second rally of the day. He arrived at 4pm but the army and police blocked all roads leading to Gulu’s city.
At the Bank of Uganda’s Gulu City branch, he encountered several armed UPDF soldiers and police officers, some in armoured cars, on ground, overseen by a Colonel. Confrontation ensued between Mr Kyagulanyi and the security personnel.
He insisted he wanted to access the NUP offices that had been raided on Thursday morning before proceeding to his rally. But security personnel blocked him.