Special prayers were held on Sunday at the Kasangati home of veteran opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye in Wakiso District, as opposition figures intensified calls for the release of political prisoners and peaceful elections ahead of Thursday’s polls.
The gathering brought together opposition leaders, families of detainees, religious leaders, and supporters, amid growing concern over what they describe as increasing repression during the election period.
Dr Besigye’s wife, Ms Winnie Byanyima, said the political climate has worsened over time, particularly after her husband parted ways with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). She accused authorities of systematically targeting opposition supporters through violence, arrests, and intimidation.
Ms Byanyima questioned the legitimacy of elections conducted under such conditions, saying opposition candidates are often unable to campaign freely without incidents of beatings, abductions, or detention. She urged Ugandans to reject violence and described the imprisonment of political opponents as a sign of political weakness, not strength.
She further called on opposition supporters to protect their vote at polling stations and criticised the continued detention of religious leaders, including former Masaka Diocesan youth chaplain Deusdedit Ssekabira.
National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, said meeting families of political prisoners remains one of the most difficult aspects of politics. He expressed solidarity with detainees’ families and revealed that Dr Besigye had reached out from prison to offer encouragement.