KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan security forces heavily deployed around the headquarters of the opposition People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) on Monday, effectively blocking a planned peaceful march to the Chief Justice’s office. The procession was organized to petition the judiciary over the continued detention of several high-profile opposition leaders.
Early Monday morning, a combined force of anti-riot police, Field Force Unit (FFU) officers, and traffic personnel cordoned off Katonga Road in Nakasero, where the PFF offices are located.
Security forces set up strategic roadblocks near the Tanzanian Embassy and the Freeway Hotel, completely isolating the area ahead of the scheduled 11:00 AM march.
The PFF reported that at least one activist, identified as Maddo Isaac, was arrested by security agents while attempting to access the party premises.
“One of our activists, Maddo Isaac, has been violently bundled up and detained simply for attempting to access our offices,” the PFF stated in a brief published on social media platform X.
By Monday afternoon, Kampala Metropolitan Police had not yet issued a formal public statement regarding the legal justification for the heavy deployment or the specific charges under which Isaac was being held.
According to PFF leadership, the political party had fully complied with the provisions of the Public Order Management Act by formally notifying the Inspector General of Police regarding their intent to hold a peaceful procession.
Dr. Lulume Bayiga, the PFF Deputy Chairman for the Buganda region, confirmed that the party had engaged the police hierarchy well in advance to seek security guidance and route clearance.
The objective of the march was to deliver a formal petition directly to Chief Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija, who assumed leadership of the judiciary in January 2026.
The petition aimed to demand the immediate granting of bail and urgent medical attention for three key opposition figures currently facing trial:
- Dr. Kizza Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutale: The veteran opposition leader and his associate have been in custody since November 2024, following their controversial arrest in Nairobi, Kenya. Both face treason-related charges in the General Court Martial.
- Erias Lukwago: The former Kampala Lord Mayor, who also serves as Dr. Besigye’s defense counsel, was arrested separately in June 2026 and stands accused of misprision of treason.
Monday’s security lockdown mirrors several incidents involving the PFF’s Katonga Road offices over the past 18 months.
Heavy security cordons previously disrupted PFF prayer gatherings in July 2026 over alleged clearance anomalies, as well as an earlier mobilization event in Rukungiri District in February 2025.
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While the PFF has consistently condemned these interventions as an unconstitutional suppression of the right to freedom of assembly, police authorities routinely maintain that preventative deployments are necessary to preserve public order and mitigate disruptions to commerce and traffic.
The PFF was formally gazetted as a registered political party in May 2025, having been formed by Dr. Besigye and an influential faction of breakaway members from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
Despite the continued detention of its core leadership, the group remains active in its campaigns ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.
