AMUDAT, Uganda — Regional security authorities have officially denied allegations that security personnel opened fire on the vehicle of FDC presidential candidate Nathan Nandala Mafabi during his campaign tour in Amudat District on Friday. The incident, which left a window of Mafabi’s lead vehicle shattered, has become a flashpoint for accusations of state-sponsored intimidation.
The FDC Secretary General and his team assert that the damage to their Toyota Land Cruiser was the result of a direct gunshot intended to neutralize the candidate.
“They shot at my car. The bullet passed through the glass,” Mr. Mafabi stated shortly after the confrontation. “This is a clear attempt on my life and a move to silence the message of change we are bringing to Karamoja.”
However, the Mt. Moroto Regional Police spokesperson countered this narrative, maintaining that the “hole” in the vehicle’s glass was not caused by a projectile from a firearm. According to the police, the damage occurred during a chaotic scuffle involving a group of individuals who began hurling stones at the convoy.
The police emphasized that their personnel were on the ground to provide security and did not employ live ammunition at any point during the engagement.
“No live ammunition was used by our officers in Amudat. The window was shattered by a stone during a scuffle with some locals,” the police statement clarified. “We urge political candidates to refrain from making inflammatory statements that could incite violence during this sensitive period.”
Mr. Mafabi has been traversing the Karamoja sub-region—including Kween, Nakapiripirit, and Amudat—promising to revitalize the local economy and improve infrastructure. This tour follows his recent official nomination as the FDC flag-bearer for the 2026 general elections, a campaign he has themed around “Fixing the economy in our pockets.”
The incident in Amudat reflects the increasingly volatile political climate in Uganda’s hinterlands as opposition figures attempt to make inroads into traditionally pro-government strongholds.
