ABIM, Uganda, Nov. 8, 2024 — The National Unity Platform (NUP) continued its national tour today in Abim, Karamoja, where members rallied the local community with a message calling for the end of “exploitation and inequality.” Despite heavy police presence and reports of arrests, NUP supporters lined the streets to welcome party leaders.
Authorities reportedly detained around 50 motorbike taxi operators, or “boda-boda” riders, and confiscated their motorcycles, citing traffic violations for not wearing helmets. NUP representatives called the move a tactic of intimidation, aiming to disrupt support and turnout for the event.
“The people of Karamoja, one of Uganda’s richest regions, are among the country’s poorest,” an NUP spokesperson said, reiterating the party’s pledge to combat what they described as an exploitative regime.