RUKUNGIRI – In a passionate address to the people of Rukungiri, the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) has cast a spotlight on the plight of the nation’s political prisoners, marking the one-year anniversary of Dr. Kizza Besigye’s latest detention and vowing to establish a new era of justice and freedom in Uganda.
The message centered on what the party termed the “prolonged detention” of Rtd. Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, the four-time presidential candidate, who has now spent a full year on remand in Luzira Upper Prison. The opposition maintains that the charges against Besigye are “trumped up,” a tactic they allege is consistently used by the state to silence and harass dissenting voices.
“The state-inspired harassment” was further highlighted through the case of Sam Mugumya, a citizen from Rukungiri who remains detained incommunicado. Mugumya’s prolonged and secretive detention was cited as a stark example of the regime’s disregard for the rule of law and human rights.
Drawing a sharp contrast with the current government’s actions, the opposition outlined its vision for a future Uganda. “In the New Uganda which we want to build, we will ensure that all victims of state repression attain justice,” the message declared. It contained a firm promise that “perpetrators of terror and oppression will be brought to book.”
The address reaffirmed a core principle of the opposition’s platform: the protection of free speech and political dissent. “We will build a country that will not repress citizens for their dissenting views,” it stated, positioning this as a fundamental break from the current political environment.
Ending on a definitive note of commitment, the message promised swift action upon a change in government: “All political prisoners shall be freed as soon as we ascend to power.”
This strong stance in Rukungiri, a district with a significant history of political activism, signals the opposition’s intent to make the issue of political repression and the promise of judicial accountability a central pillar of its campaign for the 2026 general elections. The cases of Besigye and Mugumya are likely to remain powerful symbols in their rallying cry for a “New Uganda.”
