By Aggrey Baba
David Lewis Rubongoya, the Secretary General of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and aspiring Member of Parliament for Kampala Central, has alleged a failed attempt to abduct him by heavily armed security operatives in broad daylight.
In a statement released today, Rubongoya narrated that the incident followed suspicious surveillance by unknown men believed to be security personnel. The surveillance reportedly began on Monday, June 22, when he says soldiers were seen taking photos of his vehicle as he left the NUP headquarters in Kavule, Kampala.
“They were frantically making calls while photographing my car,” he recounted, raising early suspicions that something was being planned.
According to Rubongoya, the situation escalated today, Tuesday when his vehicle was trailed by a group of armed men moving in a Toyota Hiace van (Drone) commonly known as a vehicle type that has in recent years become synonymous with abductions and illegal detentions, particularly of opposition supporters.
The men reportedly followed his vehicle until it reached Kisasi. It was there that they disembarked, swiftly surrounded the car, and forcefully opened its doors. Fortunately, Rubongoya was not inside at the time.
“They searched it and found nothing,” he said, adding that the men, visibly disappointed, questioned the driver (identified as Norbert Ariho, a fellow NUP member) about his whereabouts.
Ariho reportedly told them he did not know, after which the armed men got back into their vehicle and drove off without making any arrest.
Rubongoya condemned the act, calling it another example of increasing harassment of opposition leaders by elements of the security establishment.
“We are not criminals,” he asserted. If you suspect any of us of committing any offence, summon us to police instead of waylaying us and behaving like criminals,” he said.
The attempted arrest has since sparked reactions online under the hashtag #’FreeUganda’, with several opposition supporters and human rights advocates expressing outrage over what they see as the resurgence of unlawful arrests, intimidation, and arbitrary surveillance of political actors.
NUPP has long accused security agencies of operating with impunity, often targeting its members through covert arrests, surveillance, and detention without due process. Many such arrests have been carried out using drones, a method widely condemned by human rights groups.
Rubongoya’s close brush with abduction comes at a time when political activity is gaining momentum ahead of the 2026 general elections. His growing visibility as a parliamentary contender in Kampala Central has also put him in the national spotlight.
Rubongoya, who remains defiant, has vowed not to be intimidated, saying the struggle for justice and democratic governance in Uganda will continue. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
