NUP Drops Red Uniform, Baret

The ever-chest-thumping opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) leader, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, has complied with the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) General Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s directive to abandon the party’s red uniform and beret, even without a prior announcement.

The surprising move by Bobi Wine comes after the CDF’s stern warning on Sunday, February 23, 2025, stating, “From now on if we find ANYONE wearing a NUP uniform we will kill them! No questions.”

The NUP leader’s decision was evident during a press conference held at the party offices in Kavule –Kavule on February 24, 2025.

Party supporters, from the president to the lowest-ranking “foot soldiers,” were seen dressed in civilian clothes, having dropped their red uniforms and berets, per Muhoozi’s weekend directive to the party supporters. However, a few attendees defined the CDF’s warning when they wore, at least, the signature red berets.

The security agencies in Uganda have long claimed that the NUP uniform bears a striking resemblance to army attire, leading to repeated efforts to discourage party supporters from wearing it by applying a range of measures including arrests, abductions, torture, and detentions.

Unlike in the past when he could defy, this time round, the real action save for the rhetorical talk that encouraged some of the foot soldiers who had just resurfaced during a press conference in which they said, they were tortured whilst in a week’s incarcerations, shown that NUP leader had complied to Muhoozi’s directives.

“To you the foot soldiers whom the criminals have just vomited, take heart because the number of canes security gives you for supporting me, is the number of peeps you will get upon our victory…” Bobi told the likes of Alex Lovans, a member of the NUP Elections Management Committee (EMC).

However, the dress code during the press conference contradicted the usual tough tone, and instead spoke to real fear.

Bobi’s decision to comply with the Muhoozi’s directive, at least for the time being, suggests that the party may be adopting a more cautious approach in the face of mounting pressure from the authorities that resulted in a double raid at party premises for a joint security operation.

The NUP’s decision to abandon their uniform is likely to spark debate among supporters and opponents alike. While some may view this move as a pragmatic response to the Muhoozi’s warning, others may see it as a sign of weakness.