Democratic Party Vice President and former East African Legislative Assembly member Fred Mukasa Mbidde has stirred fresh political discussion after claiming that negotiations took place between the Ugandan government and the National Unity Platform (NUP) before the release of nine NUP supporters who had been in detention since the 2021 general elections.
Speaking on the matter, Mbidde alleged that the release did not happen in isolation but followed engagements between the opposition party and the state. He further claimed that the released supporters could be taken to Kyankwanzi for what he described as rehabilitation, although no official government announcement confirming such a programme has been made.
The remarks come amid renewed public attention on the fate of opposition supporters who have spent years on remand following arrests linked to the 2021 election period.
The issue of behind-the-scenes contacts between the government and NUP has remained politically sensitive. In recent weeks, NUP has publicly denied claims that it is engaged in formal negotiations with the government, insisting there are no official talks on behalf of the party, even as reports have suggested informal contacts may have occurred.
The release of detained NUP supporters has continued to generate mixed reactions across Uganda's political landscape, with opposition leaders maintaining that many of those arrested were political prisoners, while government officials have consistently maintained that criminal cases are handled through the justice system.
Neither the government nor NUP had officially confirmed Mbidde's assertion that the release of the nine supporters resulted from negotiations, and there has also been no official confirmation of plans to take the released individuals to Kyankwanzi for rehabilitation.