Heavily armed security personnel on Tuesday night raided Tembo Trek Courts Hotel, where the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, was staying. The operation caused significant damage to the premises. Mr Kyagulanyi and his team had just returned from Alebtong District, where they had been canvassing for votes, when the raid began at around 8:30pm. The operation was reportedly led by Mr Moses Mukiibi of the Field Force Unit (FFU).
Mr Kyagulanyi, speaking via his TikTok account, said police officers were breaking into rooms without disclosing their intentions. In a statement, police said the operation was aimed at locating two individuals: Mr Geofrey Onzima, alias Tower, and Mr Andrew Natumanya, alias Ninye Tabz. While addressing the media in Kampala yesterday, police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma described the raid as lawful. ‘Under the law, police have power to enter and exit any place, any building, so if they entered the hotel as police, they are still working within the law,’ Mr Kituuma said.
According to the Criminal Procedure Code Act, police may search premises with a warrant issued by a magistrate or, in certain circumstances, without one-such as when executing an arrest warrant, acting on reasonable suspicion of a crime, or preventing an offence. Article 27 of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda protects individuals from unlawful searches and interference with their property or communications. However, this right is not absolute and may be limited by law in the interest of national security, public order, or legal processes, as outlined in the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019.
Eyewitnesses, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said security personnel forcefully accessed the hotel and demanded keys to the guest rooms. ‘.when they opened, they teargassed all the occupants,’ a hotel worker told this publication shortly after the incident. One of the hotel occupants, a member of Mr Kyagulanyi’s team, said they were torn between escaping through the emergency exit or staying to confront the officers and understand the reason for the raid and the damage caused. ‘We could have run away but then Bobi said we shouldn’t and he said he was going to face the police. He got out and started asking them why they had broken into the hotel. After a few minutes of being quizzed by the presidential candidate and several altercations with their colleagues who provide security, they shamefully went away,’ the source told this reporter.
The raid has sparked widespread concern, with many questioning the motives behind the operation. ‘They could bang on the doors for about five to 10 minutes and when the occupants open, they again move to the next room. They told me that they were looking for two people including Tawa. I told them those people they were looking for were not on the list of the guests here but they didn’t listen to me,’ said another hotel worker. In a statement released after the latest raid, police did not provide a specific reason for the operation but said they had arrested 17 NUP supporters accused of malicious damage and robbery involving a police vehicle, Reg No UP 4816 (operating under cover registration UBK 380Q).
Mr Julius Isabirye, attached to the Criminal Investigations Directorate and deployed for surveillance during the NUP campaign rally, reported that he and his driver, Sgt Peter Muhungo, were attacked by NUP members led by Geoffrey Unzima, alias Tawa and an unidentified accomplice. ‘As a result of the attack, the vehicle was rendered immobile due to the punctured tyres and the loss of the key sensor, which will require replacement and reprogramming estimated at Shs700,000,’ read part of the statement signed by Mr Patrick Jimmy Okema, North Kyoga regional police spokesperson. Police also alleged that the NUP supporters vandalised a jammer inside the vehicle, disrupting their communication network.
According to publicly available information, jammers are devices that disrupt wireless communications by emitting radio frequencies that interfere with signals from phones, GPS devices, Wi-Fi, and other technologies. They work by overwhelming a device’s receiver with noise, preventing it from connecting to its intended network. While used in some security settings, jammers are illegal in many jurisdictions due to their potential to interfere with legitimate communications and emergency services. The NUP party relies heavily on online and social media platforms to share campaign activities with supporters across the country.
They have frequently complained about poor network connectivity, which they suspect is being deliberately disrupted by jammers. During the 2021 General Elections, the Electoral Commission emphasised the use of online platforms for campaign communication. Bobi Wine has accused police of repeatedly attacking and injuring members of his team. One such incident, captured on camera, showed a police officer head-butting Daniel Oyerot, alias Dan Magic. Mr Kyagulanyi said Oyerot was later hospitalised after suffering a headache.