The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) has strongly rejected police warnings against the party’s use of the Ugandan national flag during ongoing election campaigns, saying its actions are lawful and aimed at promoting patriotism rather than violating the law.
Speaking on Monday, NUP spokesperson and Leader of Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi dismissed claims that the party was misusing the flag, arguing that authorities were unfairly targeting opposition supporters ahead of the January 15, 2026, General Election.
“We are using the Uganda flag lawfully to promote the country’s image,” Ssenyonyi said. “You cannot say you want to block us from using the flag unless you intend to ban the entire country and everything in Uganda, starting with Mr Museveni and all government entities.”
Ssenyonyi’s remarks come amid heightened controversy following police statements warning the public that use of the national flag requires prior permission from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, as provided under the National Flag and Armorial Ensigns Act.
On Monday, NUP party leaders, including Ssenyonyi, Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, and legal counsel Erias Lukwago Katana, addressed the press on a range of electoral concerns. These included what the party described as the Electoral Commission’s unlawful nomination of candidates, inconsistencies in the voters’ register, and questions surrounding the readiness and integrity of biometric verification machines.
Flag Use and Political Tensions
The dispute over the national flag has intensified during NUP’s countrywide mobilisation, where supporters frequently wave both party symbols—such as red flags and the umbrella logo—and the national flag. Several incidents have been reported in which security personnel allegedly confronted or assaulted opposition supporters carrying the flag.
Ssenyonyi has repeatedly condemned such actions, accusing state security agencies of criminalising patriotism. In a social media post last week, he shared footage showing uniformed personnel chasing and beating a supporter carrying the national flag.
“These military men pursued a ‘terrorist’ who was carrying a ‘machine gun’—read the national flag—and beat him badly because he did not ‘choose peace’,” Ssenyonyi wrote. “This savage behaviour has characterised the entire campaign period, driven by a state that fears citizens agitating for a better country.”
Support and Diverging Views
In December 2025, Buganda Kingdom Prime Minister Charles Peter Mayiga publicly praised NUP for what he described as “rekindling patriotism and love for the Ugandan flag” through its political mobilisation. His comments were made during a meeting with NUP leaders, including party president Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), and were widely shared on social media.
However, police insist their guidance is based strictly on the law and not political considerations, maintaining that misuse of national symbols could undermine their dignity and meaning.
The debate has revived memories of earlier clashes between the state and NUP’s predecessor, the People Power movement, particularly over the red beret, which the government designated as military attire in 2019. Unlike the beret, however, no formal ban exists on the use of the national flag in political campaigns.
As campaigns intensify ahead of the 2026 elections, the disagreement underscores broader tensions between state authorities and the opposition over political expression, civil liberties, and the meaning of national symbols in Uganda’s democratic process.
