Africa News of Monday, 9 October 2023

Source: bbc.com

Ugandan security forces block Bobi Wine's party office

Opposition politician Bobi Wine. Opposition politician Bobi Wine.

Ugandan police and military officers have blocked the main office of the National Unity Platform (NUP), the party led by opposition politician Bobi Wine.

“There is heavy military deployment at our secretariat in Kamwokya, and they are currently off limits,” the NUP party shared in a post on X on Monday.

Bobi Wine has also said that the officers raided the party headquarters and have stopped people from entering or leaving the premises.

The musician-turned-politician said on social media that the blockade by the security officers is aimed at stopping a prayer event that the NUP planned to hold at its Kampala office on Monday.

The prayers were intended for the party's “dead, detained and disappeared comrades”.

Last week, police escorted Bobi Wine to his home after he returned to Uganda from South Africa, saying that the move was to prevent him from organising a march.

They also detained dozens of Bobi Wine's followers on allegations that they incited violence and planned an illegal procession.

Bobi Wine has criticised the security officers for the blockade, which coincides with Uganda's independence day.

"While they do this, they will shamelessly gather today to celebrate 'independence' even when they behave worse than the colonialists," he said.