Mbarara City authorities have charged Barekye Lyton Agaba, a 29-year-old mechanical engineer, alongside more than 40 other individuals with obstruction of a police officer, following an incident that occurred on November 7, 2025, along the Mbarara–Bwizibwera–Ibanda main road.
According to the Statement of Offence, Agaba is accused of willfully obstructing the District Police Commander (DPC) of Mbarara Central Police Station, SP Keneth Kabwigo Gumisiriza, while the officer was executing his lawful duties.
The charge is brought under Section 221(b) of the Penal Code Act. Among the co-accused named are Namazzi Hajarah (also known as Pasha Nailar), Matsiko Augustine, and Ssebagala Gordon, alongside dozens of others.
However, the arrests have sparked sharp criticism from the National Unity Platform (NUP) and its leader, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, who has accused the government of using the criminal justice system to intimidate opposition candidates ahead of the 2026 elections.
In a strongly worded statement, Bobi Wine alleged that two women nominated as NUP candidates in Rwampara District were violently arrested in Mbarara on the same day and charged alongside 36 others.
“They were charged with ‘obstruction of a police officer’ alongside 36 other comrades,” Bobi Wine said, claiming the charges were politically motivated.
He further alleged that the two candidates were pressured to withdraw their candidature and publicly denounce NUP in exchange for their release.
“They were told that in order to get out of prison, they must withdraw their candidature and denounce me and the National Unity Platform,” he said.
According to Bobi Wine, one of the candidates, Jean Muyambi, was allegedly removed from prison without the knowledge of NUP’s legal team and later appeared at a ruling party rally. He claimed the second candidate, Kiconco, initially refused to comply but later “gave in” after failed bail attempts.
“Two days ago, she was also smuggled out of prison and taken to meet another of Museveni’s henchmen,” he alleged, accusing senior government officials of offering money to opposition candidates to abandon their campaigns.
Bobi Wine also claimed that 36 detainees, including two other opposition candidates who have refused to withdraw, remain in prison, describing the situation as evidence of institutional failure.
“You can clearly see that the judiciary is complicit in this criminality,” he said, urging Ugandans to use the #ProtestVote2026 to demand political change.
Police authorities have not publicly responded to the specific allegations of coercion or political interference, maintaining that the charges against the suspects relate strictly to obstruction of lawful police duties.
The case adds to growing political tension ahead of the 2026 general elections, with opposition groups raising concerns about arrests, detentions, and the conduct of security agencies, while government officials have consistently denied accusations of persecution and insist that the rule of law applies equally to all citizens.
