Police in Jinja City have blocked Busoga One Radio’s annual concert despite a clear directive from Internal Affairs Minister Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire authorising the event to go ahead, escalating tensions around public gatherings in the run-up to Uganda’s 2026 elections.
Security officers on Saturday stormed the Jinja Agricultural Show Grounds, ordered workers to vacate, and halted preparations for the ‘Endigito Mudido Tunga Ntunge 2025’ festival.
The station, based in Jinja City, is owned by Paul Mwiru, the National Unity Platform (NUP) chairperson for Busoga South East and a parliamentary candidate in the area.
Police cited what they called a ‘highly sensitive political period,’ but the move directly contradicted a December 5 directive issued by Gen Otafiire in reference BOR/E/2/2025.
The minister had intervened after receiving a complaint from Mwiru, saying the grounds used to block the event were unjustified.
‘I have received a complaint regarding the matter, and I note that the event was stopped simply because this is a political period,’ Gen Otafiire stated.
He instructed security to lift the suspension, adding: ‘The event should be allowed to take place. Even during this political period, political statements are not banned, and we must ensure that space is given for political expression.’
Before the minister’s directive, the Jinja City Security Committee had issued a formal advisory postponing the December 7 concert.
In a letter signed by chairperson Richard Gulume Balyaino, the committee said it based its position on a Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) report.
‘An extended City Security Committee meeting was convened to review the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) security assessment report,’ the letter to Busoga One General Manager Innocent Anyole read.
The committee recommended the show be pushed to ‘a later date, preferably after the elections.’
Uganda heads to the polls on January 15, 2026, and the dispute has triggered confusion among fans, performers and vendors who had already committed to the festival.
By Saturday morning, dozens of small-scale traders had transported food and merchandise to the grounds, expecting brisk business.
Many said the sudden police action left them facing severe financial losses.
‘I had prepared over 200 chapatis and brought all my ingredients. Now everything is wasted, and I don’t know how I will recover the money I spent,’ chapati vendor James Kakaire told Monitor.
Sarah Kayaga, who sells soft drinks and snacks, described the operation as abrupt and costly. ‘We hired transport and extra help for today. The police came and cleared the venue without any warning. All our stock is going bad, and we may lose everything,’ she lamented.
Food vendor Ms Ruth Naigaga added: ‘Events like this are how we survive. Today, I had meat, vegetables, perishable food, and charcoal ready, but I cannot sell anything. We are left with huge losses for no reason.’
The fate of the festival remains unclear as Busoga One Radio prepares to issue further communication.