Heavy security deployment blocked National Unity Platform (NUP) president and presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu from accessing Elegu Town in Amuru District,on Friday evening, where he was scheduled to address supporters as part of his 2025 campaign trail.
Kyagulanyi arrived in Atiak Town Council at about 4:00pm on 5th December, 2025, only to find the road to the border town sealed off by officers from the Uganda Police Force and Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF).
The security teams stopped him from proceeding to Elegu, where he said he was expected to meet his supporters at the Uganda–South Sudan border.
Speaking to security officers at the roadblock, Kyagulanyi condemned what he called unfair and unlawful obstruction of his campaign activities and urged the Electoral Commission chairperson Simon Byabakama, along other stakeholders to take action against what he described as selective enforcement
“I am a presidential candidate, and according to the EC roadmap, we are supposed to be in Amuru District today. Elegu is part of Amuru, and I am meant to speak to the people there, yet I am being blocked. Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission chairperson, Simon Byabakama, remains silent about this,” Kyagulanyi said.
He urged his supporters to remain calm and avoid confrontations with security personnel, warning that any provocation could lead to arrests.
“You have seen the Jiefang trucks. They are here to arrest you if you react. Please do not confront the security officers; they are our brothers. The problem is not the officers, it is the commanders who give the orders,” Kyagulanyi added.
In a statement released on Friday evening, the police said Kyagulanyi was stopped because his campaign schedule did not include Elegu.
In a statement issued on Friday evening, the Territorial Police in Aswa West Region said Kyagulanyi was blocked because he diverted from an agreed-upon venue, insisting he had no approved rally in Elegu.
“The Territorial Police in the Aswa West Region blocked the NUP presidential candidate after he defied the venue designated for his campaign rally. He attempted to divert toward the Elegu border instead of proceeding to Atiak Town Council, which had been agreed upon,” the police statement read.
Police said they advised the NUP team to follow the earlier coordination agreement made with the Electoral Commission and local stakeholders.
As the standoff continued, Kyagulanyi resorted to singing revolutionary songs for his supporters and the officers on duty. The closure of the highway leading to South Sudan created a heavy traffic jam lasting more than two hours, with trucks heading to and from Juba and Gulu stranded.
Kyagulanyi’s morning campaign in Nwoya District had also been disrupted after crowds of NRM supporters in yellow T-shirts interrupted his rally in Anaka Town Council, forcing him to abandon the district and proceed to Amuru.
Kyagulanyi is expected to conclude his week’s campaign program today, Saturday, 6th December, 2025, with rallies in Adjumani Town and later in Gulu City.
