The recent events surrounding the arrests of my campaign team in Mbarara have reminded me of a painful truth about our politics, one that we seem to keep forgetting.
Uganda’s opposition is not only fighting a repressive regime; it is also battling an internal culture of mistrust and character assassination that threatens to undo everything we stand for.
When I look back at the events of 2020 in Kalangala and compare them with what happened in 2025 in Mbarara, the similarities are too striking to ignore.
In 2020, during the presidential campaigns, our National Unity Platform (NUP) team was ambushed by security forces under the command of the late Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech.
Nearly all our campaigners were arrested and detained. I was airlifted to my home in Magere, while my then–deputy for Buganda region, Mathias Mpuuga, was left stranded in a forest.
The regime’s aim was clear, to cripple the opposition and silence dissent. But what happened afterward was even more disappointing.
Instead of standing together as comrades in the struggle, some party leaders used that tragedy to malign Mpuuga, accusing him of orchestrating the arrests. It was an act of betrayal, a weaponization of pain for political gain.
Fast-forward to 2025. Once again, our campaign trail was ambushed in Mbarara. Security operatives commanded by one Mukiibi arrested almost the entire team, except myself and our Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya. And just like in 2020, we were left stranded, watching as our colleagues were taken away.
Ironically, some of the loudest voices that once accused others of conspiracy were conspicuously absent during the Mbarara operation, yet no one is rushing to assign blame this time. This begs the question: who will we accuse now that Mpuuga is no longer in the party?
This moment has taught me a deep personal lesson. Character assassination is a dangerous sword, it often ends up cutting those who wield it.
When leaders turn against each other, they play straight into the hands of the oppressor. The regime does not need to destroy us if we are willing to destroy ourselves.
Political disagreements are natural and even healthy, but when they degenerate into personal attacks and malicious propaganda, the result is division and weakness.
The people we serve deserve better. They look up to us for hope, unity, and integrity, not infighting and blame games.
Let us never forget who the real enemy is. It is not the colleague sitting next to you, nor the one who disagrees with you in a meeting.
The real enemy is the system that thrives on our disunity, the one holding the ball while we waste energy fighting among ourselves.
My call to all NUP leaders, members, and supporters is simple: learn from the past. Stop normalizing internal wars and focus on what truly matters, building a just, free, and prosperous Uganda.
Our future depends not on how fiercely we fight one another, but on how faithfully we stand together.
By Wilson Kagombe, Political Scientist.
