Bobi Wine backs ‘no cow, no vote’ protest in Teso

Teso — National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has accused security agencies and senior government officials of orchestrating intimidation, roadblocks and violence against his supporters as he continued political mobilisation in Uganda’s Teso sub-region.

In a series of statements shared on social media, Kyagulanyi alleged that Speaker of Parliament Anita Among had hired groups to disrupt NUP activities in Bukedea, similar to what he described as previous incidents in Gulu. He claimed that NUP supporters had been warned and intimidated against attending rallies ahead of his planned visits to Ngora and Bukedea.

“We hope they abandon these criminal schemes. The world is watching,” Kyagulanyi said, describing the information as “credible.”

During the tour, Kyagulanyi also reported multiple police roadblocks, including one that prevented his team from proceeding to Ociro, where they had planned to spend the night. According to Kyagulanyi, police told them they could not proceed because the area was “in another district.”

Despite the restrictions, Kyagulanyi said he addressed supporters at Otuboi and Apapai trading centres in Kalaki District, where he urged residents to embrace what he termed a message of change and hope.

The NUP leader further accused unidentified armed men, dressed in civilian clothes, of brutalising supporters during the mobilisation. He described the individuals as security operatives operating without identification, calling the situation evidence of a “rogue regime” and renewed his call for the restoration of the rule of law.

In a separate statement, Kyagulanyi condemned the dismissal of Uganda Prisons Service officer Ampe Lawrence, whom he said was fired for using social media to expose human rights abuses, corruption and mistreatment of junior officers within the service.

He contrasted the dismissal with what he described as the lack of punishment for security officers who openly express partisan political views in support of the ruling government.

Kyagulanyi also reiterated NUP’s support for communities in Teso, pledging to push for compensation for cattle lost during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, and backing the “no cow, no vote” protest as part of broader opposition to corruption, unemployment and poor service delivery.

Additionally, he criticised President Yoweri Museveni over recent remarks on handling protests, accusing the government of preparing to respond to peaceful demonstrations with force. Kyagulanyi maintained that NUP’s call is for peaceful protest, as guaranteed under Article 29 of the Constitution, and said protests would be unnecessary if elections were free, fair and transparent.

“You cannot kill all Ugandans. The people of Uganda will have the final say on their destiny,” Kyagulanyi said.

At the time of filing this report, police and government officials had not publicly responded to the allegations.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *