NUP’s Teso Coordinator Says, His Life in Danger Over Teso War Victims Elders’ Meeting with Bobi Wine

The National Unity Platform (NUP) Coordinator for the Teso Subregion, George William Okoit, has raised concerns about his safety after reports linked him to the recent meeting between Teso elders and NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine.

On February 21, 2025, the elders, who are Teso War Claimants seeking compensation for losses suffered during past conflicts, were reportedly detained at Wandegeya Police Station.

According to NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, the elders had visited the party’s headquarters in Kampala to engage with the opposition leader and discuss strengthening NUP’s presence in the Teso region.

Rubongoya took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express outrage over the arrests, claiming that the elders were surrounded by military personnel as soon as they boarded their bus to return home.

“Unbelievable! 40 elders from Teso Sub-region who came to visit @NUP_Ug offices and our leader @HEBobiwine have been arrested and are being detained at Wandegeya Police,” Rubongoya wrote.

“As soon as they got into their bus to return home, the military surrounded them, took them away, and ordered them not to pick any phone call. After failing to trace them for several hours, it turned out they had been abducted before being dropped at police. UNBELIEVABLE!” he added.

However Okoit, in a press statement, dismissed accusations that he played a role in the alleged arrest and abduction of over 40 elders from Teso.

He described the claims as baseless, malicious, and aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

“I have become aware of the groundless accusations and threats going around the internet concerning my so-called participation in the recent arrest and abduction of more than forty elders from the Teso Subregion. This is utterly preposterous,” Okoit stated.

He went on to clarify that the elders had traveled to Kampala to engage with NUP leadership, exercising their constitutional right to association.

Their discussions, according to Okoit, centered on justice and compensation for past grievances, particularly promises that the government had allegedly failed to fulfill.

However, the meeting took a dramatic turn when reports emerged that security forces had arrested several elders.

Okoit blamed the government for what he called a campaign of intimidation meant to suppress dissent.

“The intimidation tactics by the NRM government, such as the arrest and abduction of those elders, are a clear violation of human rights. These actions are part of a larger policy aimed at silencing opposition voices while ensuring compliance to their regime without any accountability to the citizens,” he charged.

Teso elders have long demanded government compensation for past conflicts and cattle rustling losses, a promise that has remained unfulfilled.

Okoit expressed his support for their efforts, asserting that the NRM regime had a history of making empty promises without delivering justice.

The incident has sparked tensions in the region, with NUP supporters calling for the immediate release of those detained.

Some political analysts suggest that the crackdown on Teso elders is part of a broader strategy by the government to suppress opposition mobilization ahead of upcoming elections.

Okoit has since called on the authorities to stop spreading misinformation about him and to ensure his safety.

“I appeal to those peddling these malicious statements and false propaganda about me to be very cautious and guided in their mission. Your unfounded allegations hold no ground,” he warned.

The Ugandan government has yet to respond to the accusations, but human rights activists and opposition leaders have condemned the arrests, urging international bodies to take note of the increasing crackdown on political opposition.

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John Ogulei

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