If there is one thing Uganda can expect during campaign season, it is the National Unity Platform’s presidential candidate finding a way to turn an ordinary campaign stop into a national spectacle. His visit to the Tooro sub region on December 9, 2025, felt less like a political engagement and more like an audition for an international documentary titled Perpetually Under Attack, a storyline that seems to follow him with remarkable loyalty.
Security officials say everything had been agreed upon the day before. Campaign routes were mapped out, risk assessments completed, and the NUP coordinators reportedly aligned with the plan. The candidate was expected to enter Tooro through the Kihura to Rwanwanja to Kahunge road, and exit via Harubaho in Fort Portal. Even the NRM candidate had a separate campaigning zone in Kyenjojo. The structure was clear and organized.
On arrival at Kihura Trading Centre, however, the script changed. The NUP candidate suddenly felt compelled to abandon the agreed route and pursue an alternative one that no one had discussed. The result was a standoff that lasted about an hour and a half as security attempted to guide him back to the agreed path. Cameras rolled, supporters shouted, and the tension began to rise.
When the convoy finally moved toward Harubaho, the day took another dramatic turn. The candidate insisted on entering Fort Portal town in direct contradiction to the plan his own team had approved. Police intervened and another standoff unfolded for about thirty minutes before movement resumed toward Bunyangabu District, where he held a rally at Busiita Playground.
The climax of the day happened in Ibonde as the team headed for a scheduled rally in Harugongo. Once again, the NUP candidate attempted to divert toward the Fort Portal central business district. Security blocked the move at around 3:30 p.m. and a prolonged standoff took shape, stretching into the evening. At around 7:00 p.m., the situation was resolved and the candidate was escorted to the location where he would spend the night.
Police later issued a statement reminding the public that no presidential candidate will be allowed to violate campaign arrangements or use unauthorized areas such as trading centres or public roads for spontaneous political theatre. Such diversions, they noted, create confrontation and disrupt public order.
The pattern is becoming familiar. Wherever order exists, the candidate introduces chaos and then presents it as persecution. It is a reliable way to produce dramatic footage and reinforce a global narrative of victimhood. For some, it appears to be a political strategy. For Ugandans, it is simply exhausting.