National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya has praised supporters in Mayuge District for turning out in large numbers to attend party president Robert Kyagulanyi’s (Bobi Wine) rally despite heavy security intimidation and roadblocks.
In a statement shared on X, Rubongoya said the rally took place under tense conditions, accusing state security of using diversions and threats to discourage attendance.
He described the event as a show of resilience and commitment by Ugandans who, he said, are determined to push for political change despite harassment.
“Always interesting to see how our people defy all forms of intimidation and blockades to reach our venues and receive the message of change,” Rubongoya wrote, contrasting NUP’s grassroots mobilization with what he described as “state-sponsored” National Resistance Movement (NRM) rallies.
According to Rubongoya, unlike NRM events where participants are allegedly given food, allowances, and state protection, NUP supporters attend out of conviction and the desire for freedom.
He added that the government often pushes NUP rallies far from town centers in an attempt to frustrate mobilization, but supporters continue to travel long distances “in the spirit of protest.”
Rubongoya said the turnout in Mayuge demonstrated that the population’s yearning for freedom could not be suppressed indefinitely.
“The regime must understand that people’s desire for change is stronger than the fear imposed on them,” he stated, ending with NUP’s popular slogan, “People Power is stronger than the people in power.”
The Mayuge rally was part of NUP’s ongoing national mobilization drive as the party continues to build support ahead of the 2026 elections, despite what it describes as escalating political repression.