Ugandan police have summoned Christopher Kibira, a senior official with the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), for questioning as tensions escalate following last week’s disputed presidential election.
The summons, issued on Jan. 12—three days before the Jan. 15 polls—ordered Kibira to report to the Criminal Investigation Directorate on Monday morning. Authorities say the inquiry is related to allegations of inciting violence, hate speech and unlawful assembly during an election cycle that has been marred by a deadly crackdown on dissent.
The move comes as the death toll from post-election unrest rises to at least 20 people.
In the most serious incident, 10 people were killed in Butambala District. Muwanga Kivumbi, a local member of parliament, described the killings as a massacre, alleging that security forces stormed his home and shot his campaign agents.
Police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe rejected the allegations, claiming that security forces acted in self-defense against groups armed with machetes.
The NUP, led by singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, has accused the government of President Yoweri Museveni of a systematic campaign of intimidation. The party says dozens of its activists have been abducted by security forces using unmarked vans, popularly known as “drones.”
The United Nations Human Rights Office has warned that the election was held in an environment of widespread repression.
Bobi Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, remains under heavy security surveillance.
His party claimed he was briefly taken to an undisclosed location by the military on Friday, a claim the army has denied.
Rights groups say the summons for Kibira is part of a broader pattern of targeting opposition figures.
Many NUP activists who have previously been summoned or detained by security forces remain missing, leading to fears among supporters about Kibira’s safety.
