National Unity Platform (NUP) president and two-time presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine has called for the immediate resignation of Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakamar, accusing him of overseeing an election process riddled with violence, selective arrests, and open bias.
Bobi Wine’s demand comes after a wave of crackdowns on NUP supporters across several districts during the ongoing 2025–2026 presidential campaigns.
Speaking in a public statement earlier today, Bobi Wine faulted Byabakama for allegedly ordering voters mainly opposition supportersto leave polling stations immediately after casting their ballots, a move NUP interprets as an attempt to block independent monitoring.
According to NUP, over 400 supporters, including coordinators and aides, have been arrested in recent days. Incidents in Kampala, Arua, Lira, and Mbarara reportedly saw security forces deploy tear gas, pepper spray, water cannons, and physical force even at peaceful gatherings.
The outrage reached new heights on Tuesday when security personnel unleashed dogs on crowds in Kawempe an incident Ugandans likened to apartheid-era brutality. Shockingly, the EC did not condemn the act, with Byabakama choosing instead to lecture the public on “breaches of electoral laws.”
Bobi Wine insists these actions clearly show the EC’s bias in favour of the ruling NRM.
“You cannot claim neutrality while our people are jailed, teargassed, and blocked, as the other side campaigns freely.It is either fairness or you resign.”,he said.
NUP maintains that the charges slapped on their supporters ranging from traffic offences to vandalism are politically motivated to silence dissent ahead of the election.
Political observers warn that the continued selective enforcement of laws risks undermining public trust, discouraging voter turnout, and damaging the credibility of the election.
With the January 2026 polls fast approaching, the standoff has turned the political contest into a bigger national test a fight over the integrity of Uganda’s institutions and the future of democratic participation.