By Karim Were
KAMPALA — September 14, 2026: Heavy security deployment has been reported around the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) headquarters on Katonga Road in Nakasero, Kampala, ahead of a planned procession by the opposition party to the Chief Justice’s office over the continued detention and medical welfare of Dr Kizza Besigye, Erias Lukwago and other political detainees.
The planned procession is scheduled for Monday, September 14, with PFF leaders saying they intend to leave their headquarters at 11:00 a.m. and proceed to the office of the Chief Justice, where they plan to deliver a petition seeking consideration of bail for detainees whose medical conditions, according to the party, require specialised treatment.
Reports of a heightened security presence around the PFF offices come as authorities face renewed scrutiny over how security agencies will manage the planned procession and balance public order concerns with the constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and expression.
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PFF has maintained that the procession will be peaceful and has formally notified the Uganda Police Force of its plans.
The party’s notification to police was made on September 7 by its Deputy Secretary General, Kennedy Okello. PFF said it expected police to cooperate in facilitating a safe and peaceful procession.
However, as the planned march approached, reports indicated that security agencies were closely monitoring the party’s headquarters and the surrounding area.
The exact scale and composition of the September 14 deployment could not be independently established from official police statements reviewed for this report. Previous security operations at the same PFF headquarters, however, have involved police and military personnel sealing access roads around the premises.
PFF procession
The procession is centred on PFF’s campaign for the release on bail of detained opposition figures whom the party says require access to specialised medical treatment.
PFF interim Executive Chairman Dr Lulume Bayiga said the decision to petition the Chief Justice followed unsuccessful efforts by the party to secure a meeting with the Judiciary over the continued detention of its members.
According to reports of his September 7 remarks, Bayiga said the petition would focus on detainees whose medical conditions require hospital treatment rather than continued incarceration.
“This petition is concerned with the demand for bail for people who don’t belong to prisons but to hospitals due to their conditions,” Bayiga said, according to the Nile Post.
PFF has identified Besigye, Lukwago and Haji Obeid Lutale among those whose cases are central to its campaign.
The party has repeatedly called for medical bail for Besigye, arguing that his health has deteriorated while he has been facing treason proceedings.
PFF has also raised concerns about Lukwago’s health and his continued detention as he faces a separate legal case.
The party says its objective in Monday’s procession is not to stage a confrontation with security agencies but to deliver its concerns directly to the leadership of the Judiciary.
Police notified of planned march
PFF formally notified Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba about the planned procession.
The notification stated that the party expected police cooperation to ensure that the event proceeded peacefully and safely.
PFF has also indicated that it wants the procession controlled rather than turned into a large spontaneous demonstration.
In its public communication, the party called on police to facilitate the procession while ensuring that unrelated individuals or groups did not interfere with it.
The approach is significant because opposition demonstrations in Kampala have previously attracted substantial security deployments and restrictions on movement.
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A previous security operation at PFF headquarters in July saw police, Field Force Unit personnel and military police deployed around Katonga Road and Kagera Road during planned prayers for political prisoners. Uganda Radio Network reported at the time that access to the PFF offices was restricted.
New Vision also reported in July that police had blocked roads leading to the PFF headquarters during the planned prayers.
Those earlier incidents provide context for the heightened attention surrounding Monday’s planned procession, although they do not by themselves establish the reason for the current deployment.
Besigye’s health at centre of campaign
The health of Besigye has become a major issue in the opposition campaign for his release.
The veteran opposition politician has been facing treason proceedings before the High Court. His health has also affected the progress of the proceedings.
Uganda Radio Network reported in July that the High Court ordered the Uganda Prisons Service to submit a detailed medical report after prison authorities informed the court that Besigye was unwell and unable to attend proceedings.
The court subsequently sought medical assessment to establish whether Besigye was medically fit to stand trial and participate in the proceedings.
Besigye’s supporters have continued to argue that his condition warrants release on medical grounds.
His family has also publicly expressed concern about his health. His wife, Winnie Byanyima, has called for him to receive specialised treatment outside Uganda, while authorities have maintained that he is receiving medical care.
A recent report said Besigye was moved from Luzira Prison to the Joint Clinical Research Centre for medical attention after his condition deteriorated. Uganda Prisons Service spokesperson Frank Baine said the transfer was undertaken in accordance with medical recommendations and a court order.
The differing positions have made Besigye’s health an increasingly prominent issue in the wider debate about his continued detention.
Lukwago’s detention
Lukwago, a prominent opposition politician and lawyer, is also facing legal proceedings and has been at the centre of PFF’s campaign.
International legal organisations have previously raised concerns over his detention and prosecution.
A July statement by the International Union of Lawyers and other legal organisations said Lukwago had been detained and subsequently charged with misprision of treason. The organisations expressed concern about what they described as interference with his rights and access to legal representation.
The allegations contained in that statement remain contested matters connected to ongoing legal proceedings.
Lukwago’s case has nevertheless added another dimension to the PFF campaign, with the party arguing that the health and welfare of detainees should be considered alongside their right to a fair and timely judicial process.
Judiciary faces renewed attention
The planned petition places the Judiciary at the centre of a politically sensitive debate.
PFF says it wants the Chief Justice to consider the circumstances of detainees whose health requires specialised treatment and to ensure that courts properly consider bail applications where the law permits.
The party’s position comes amid continuing court proceedings against Besigye and other accused persons.
The Judiciary, however, operates within established judicial procedures, and decisions concerning bail are made by courts with jurisdiction over individual cases.
The planned petition therefore does not automatically mean that the Chief Justice can order the release of individual accused persons. Bail applications and related judicial decisions remain subject to the applicable legal processes and the courts handling the respective cases.
This distinction is important as the political campaign surrounding the detainees intersects with ongoing criminal proceedings.
Constitutional rights and public order
The planned procession also highlights the continuing tension in Uganda between political parties’ rights to organise and the responsibility of security agencies to maintain public order.
PFF has cited constitutional protections for peaceful assembly and expression in defending its planned action.
The party has insisted that its procession is peaceful and has asked police to facilitate it.
Security agencies, meanwhile, have in previous instances defended heightened deployments in Kampala on public-order and security grounds.
The balance between these competing responsibilities is likely to remain an important issue as the procession unfolds.
A large security presence can prevent disorder and protect participants, but excessive restrictions on lawful political activity can also raise concerns about freedom of assembly and political expression.
For that reason, how Monday’s procession is handled may attract attention beyond the immediate dispute over Besigye and Lukwago.
Previous security deployment at PFF offices
The PFF headquarters has previously been the scene of heightened security activity.
In July, security forces blocked access to the party offices during planned Juma prayers dedicated to political prisoners. Uganda Radio Network reported that Field Force Unit personnel, anti-riot police and military police were involved in the operation.
The incident drew criticism from PFF officials, who accused security agencies of interfering with their activities.
Police and security authorities have previously justified increased deployments around opposition gatherings on the grounds of maintaining public order and responding to security concerns.
Such previous incidents have contributed to the sensitivity surrounding gatherings at the Katonga Road headquarters.
The Electoral Commission lists the PFF headquarters at Plot 6, Katonga Road, Kampala, confirming the location of the party’s offices.
Broader political significance
The September 14 procession comes at a politically sensitive period in Uganda, with opposition parties and political organisations continuing to campaign around issues of political freedom, detention and access to justice.
Besigye remains one of Uganda’s most prominent opposition figures, and developments surrounding his trial have attracted national and international attention.
The case has also generated debate about the treatment of political detainees, the right to medical care in custody and the independence of judicial processes.
International human rights organisations have previously raised concerns about Besigye’s detention and health, while Ugandan authorities have maintained that legal procedures and medical arrangements are being followed.
The PFF procession therefore brings several issues together: the rights of accused persons, access to healthcare in detention, bail, freedom of peaceful assembly and the role of the Judiciary.
What happens next
The immediate focus will be on whether the procession proceeds as announced, whether police allow participants to move from Katonga Road towards the Chief Justice’s office and whether PFF representatives are able to formally deliver their petition.
PFF has repeatedly described the event as peaceful and has asked security agencies to cooperate.
The party’s stated objective is to place its concerns over Besigye, Lukwago and other detainees before the Judiciary rather than to disrupt public business.
At the same time, the reported security deployment around the headquarters signals that authorities are treating the planned gathering as an event requiring close security attention.
The outcome will likely influence the wider debate over how opposition political activities are managed in Kampala.
For PFF, the procession is another attempt to keep the cases of its detained leaders in the public spotlight and press for bail on medical grounds.
For the Judiciary, the petition will come against the backdrop of active criminal proceedings in which courts must continue to balance the rights of accused persons with the requirements of justice.
And for security agencies, the challenge will be to maintain public order without unnecessarily restricting a peaceful political activity.
The broader significance of Monday’s events will ultimately depend not only on whether the petition is delivered, but also on whether all sides respect the legal process, peaceful assembly and the rights of those involved.
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