15 arrested as police raid hotel hosting Bobi Wine’s campaign team in Lira
The late-night raid has drawn public attention after NUP officials alleged that pepper spray or chemical agents were used inside the hotel, leaving several campaign members choking and hospitalized.
Lira: A police raid at Tembo Trek Courts in Lira Town late Tuesday night has sparked outrage after members of Robert Kyagulanyi’s (Bobi Wine’s) campaign team were allegedly pepper-sprayed and several others arrested.
Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform (NUP) president, confirmed the incident in a TikTok video posted shortly after midnight, saying that several team members suffocated and had to be carried out of their rooms after police used pepper spray during the operation.
Earlier, NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya claimed that plain-clothed security operatives sprayed chemical substances through the windows and doors of rooms occupied by the campaign team. He further alleged that police confiscated campaign equipment during the raid.
Witnesses said the operation, led by personnel from the Field Force Unit (FFU) and supported by plain-clothed officers, lasted through the night, with security operatives moving from one room to another.
Although Bobi Wine was reportedly not the direct target, pepper spray entered his room during the chaos. Several NUP foot soldiers were detained and taken to unknown locations, with the motive of the operation initially unclear.
North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson SP Patrick Jimmy Okema said the raid was linked to a case of malicious damage to property and robbery reported along the Lira–Alebtong highway on October 28, 2025.
Okema explained that the hotel operation was intended to arrest a suspect allegedly involved in an earlier attack on a police surveillance vehicle. He identified the suspect as Geoffrey Unzima, alias Tower, who, along with another individual, is accused of leading a group of NUP supporters that ambushed a police vehicle registration UP 4816 (operating under UBK 380Q) attached to the Criminal Investigations Headquarters.
“The attackers stopped the vehicle, punctured all four tyres using sharp metallic objects, and robbed the officers of a Dell laptop, diesel fuel, and personal belongings,” Okema said.
“They also grabbed the car key sensor, leaving the vehicle immobile.”
Okema emphasized that the operation was not directed at Hon. Kyagulanyi or his campaign, but rather aimed at apprehending the suspect connected to the earlier robbery. However, he did not explain why the operation was conducted at night, which caused panic and discomfort among hotel guests.
Okema confirmed that 15 suspects had been arrested and were assisting with investigations. Police are still searching for Unzima and his accomplice, who remain at large.
Investigators believe the attackers may have mistaken the police vehicle for one carrying a signal jammer, allegedly interfering with NUP’s online communication systems. The vehicle had reportedly followed the campaign team across several districts, including Manafwa, Busia, Apac, Kwania, and Kole.
The late-night raid has drawn public attention after NUP officials alleged that pepper spray or chemical agents were used inside the hotel, leaving several campaign members choking and hospitalized.
Police have not commented directly on those allegations, only describing the operation as a “lawful effort to apprehend a suspect linked to an active criminal case.”
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