Keypoints:
- Uganda’s opposition is using the national flag as a protest symbol
- Police warn against ‘inappropriate’ flag use at rallies
- President Museveni is expected to secure another term
UGANDA’S presidential election has taken an increasingly symbolic turn, with the national flag emerging as a potent emblem of protest as opposition supporters defy police warnings days before voting.
At rallies across the country this week, crowds waved the black, yellow and red flag as opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, passed through cheering supporters. What was once an uncontroversial display of national pride has become a politically charged act in an election already marked by accusations of repression and intimidation.
Police last month warned against what they described as ‘casual and inappropriate’ use of the flag, a statement that has been widely interpreted by opposition figures as an attempt to curb visible displays of dissent.
A foregone conclusion at the polls
The confrontation is playing out against the near certainty that President Yoweri Museveni, 81, will secure a seventh term in office. Analysts say Museveni’s grip on the security services, electoral machinery and state institutions has rendered the outcome of Thursday’s vote largely predictable, extending his rule to almost 40 years.
For Wine, 43, the campaign has been framed less as a realistic bid for power and more as a protest vote aimed at mobilising public anger, particularly among younger Ugandans.
‘The flag is the only weapon we have,’ said Conrad Olwenyi, a 31-year-old woodworker attending a rally this week. ‘We cannot fight the security forces because they have guns. If they shoot you when you are holding the flag, they are shooting the country,’ he told AFP.
Reclaiming patriotism
Uganda’s national flag dates back to independence from Britain in 1962. Its black stripe symbolises Africa’s people, yellow the country’s sunshine, and red African brotherhood, with a grey crowned crane at its centre representing peace and dignity.
Political analysts say the opposition’s embrace of the flag is a calculated attempt to ‘reclaim patriotism’ from a ruling establishment that has long equated loyalty to the state with loyalty to Museveni.
Wine’s National Unity Platform previously relied on red berets as a campaign symbol during the 2021 elections. The government later declared them illegal, arguing they were part of a military uniform, a move that paved the way for raids on party offices and arrests of activists.
‘Using the flag is a clever alternative,’ Uganda analyst Kristof Titeca told AFP. ‘It took the authorities by surprise and explains why they suddenly started enforcing regulations that had long been ignored.’
Warnings and intimidation
According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, opposition supporters have faced repeated intimidation during the campaign, including arrests, beatings and the disruption of rallies by security forces.
Although many east African countries have laws governing the use of national symbols, such rules were rarely enforced in Uganda until now. Political cartoonist and commentator Jimmy Spire Ssentongo said the crackdown reflects growing anxiety within the ruling elite.
‘They are not threatened by misuse of the flag,’ he said. ‘They are threatened by how visible support for the opposition has become. As Museveni ages, the space for freedom of expression continues to shrink.’
Defiance despite official pushback
Officials from Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement reject claims of repression. Israel Kyarisiima, the party’s national youth co-ordinator, accused the opposition of politicising a shared national symbol, saying its use depended on context.
Despite the warnings, Wine has urged supporters to defend anyone assaulted for carrying the flag. At rallies this week, it remained a prominent feature.
‘This flag represents us as Ugandans,’ said Ruth Excellent Mirembe, 25, waving it above her head. ‘Trying to criminalise it is oppression in the highest form.’
