There is no threat we cannot deal with” – UPDF to Bobi Wine amid calls to mob polling stations

Col. Chris Magezi, the Acting Defence Public Information Officer said the UPDF (R) has warned National Unity Platform's Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine (L) that the army has the capacity to deal with any threat should he incite masses to cause violence during next month's polls

Kampala, Uganda: The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has issued a stern warning to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) Presidential Candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine, cautioning him against what the army describes as incendiary and dangerous rhetoric that could plunge the country into violence during the 2026 General Elections.

In a press statement posted Saturday December 27, via UPDF social pages and the website, the UPDF Acting Director of Defence Public Information, Col Chris Magezi, stated that security agencies have observed with concern repeated remarks by the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, allegedly calling on supporters to mob polling stations on Election Day and later march to Kampala, while preparing to confront security forces.

“Security has noted with concern the continuous rhetoric by the NUP Presidential candidate calling upon his supporters to mob polling centres on Election Day, and thereafter march to the Capital Kampala,” the statement reads in part.

According to Col Magezi, such messaging falsely suggests that the police and the army would be overwhelmed on the ground, a claim the military dismissed as reckless and misleading. “This type of polarising language is very unfortunate indeed. It is ill-advised, toxic, shallow in logic, and dangerous,” he warned.

The UPDF said inciting young people to confront armed forces amounts to promoting anarchy and warned that those who instigate violence would not escape the consequences.

“In the worst-case scenario, those who incite violence and promote anarchy in the country by misleading the young of Uganda to violently confront the security forces will themselves not escape the outcome,” the statement said, describing such actions as a “futile and zero-sum game with no winners.”

Recalling Uganda’s history of instability, Col Magezi noted that it was inconceivable for an aspiring national leader to undermine the credibility of the country’s security institutions, which it described as the foundation of national stability and development.

UPDF Defends Its Capacity

In unusually blunt language, the UPDF asserted its operational readiness and warned against testing the resolve of the armed forces.

“The country’s armed forces, and the UPDF in particular, are highly capable, organised, proficient and lethal. There is no threat we cannot deal with, and it will be very bad news for those who do not heed the warnings,” the statement said emphatically.

The army added that anyone doubting its capabilities should look to the fate of armed groups previously confronted by Ugandan forces, including al-Shabaab in Somalia, the ADF and CODECO in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Joseph Kony’s defunct LRA.

The statement also cautioned against what it termed “modern-day Alice Lakwena’s” and “Kirumira Mutimas,” references to past figures accused of misleading followers into violent confrontations with the state.

Call for Peaceful Campaigning

The UPDF concluded by urging all political actors to seek votes peacefully, strictly in line with Electoral Commission guidelines and within the spirit and letter of Uganda’s laws.

The warning comes at a time of heightened political tension marked by candidate de-nominations, sharp exchanges between state institutions and the opposition, and increased public anxiety as Uganda moves closer to the 2026 polls.