Siblings of National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi have threatened to take action if security forces continue to block access to his residence in Magere, despite government and army officials insisting they are not pursuing the opposition leader.
The warning follows an incident in which Kyagulanyi's siblings were denied entry to the Magere home by security officers, who reportedly told them they lacked clearance to access the premises.
Residents in the area are currently subjected to heightened security checks as they move in and out of the neighbourhood.
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The development comes a day after officials from the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) and government publicly stated that they were not searching for Kyagulanyi and had no information regarding his whereabouts.
Following those statements, Kyagulanyi's siblings went to Magere to visit the residence and deliver food to family members inside.
However, they were blocked by officers believed to be from the Joint Anti-Terrorism (JAT) unit, who declined to grant them access.
"We were called from home and asked to bring food, but when we reached the gate, we were stopped and told we were not allowed in," Irene Kayemba, one of Kyagulanyi's siblings, said. "No one could explain why."
According to the family, both the siblings and the security officers spent several hours making phone calls to their respective superiors in an attempt to secure clearance. Despite the prolonged engagement, permission was not granted.
"We kept waiting as they made calls, but nothing changed. It felt like we were being deliberately frustrated," another sibling, Banjoman, said.
After several hours, the siblings left the area visibly frustrated, accusing security forces of intimidation and harassment.
They questioned the continued security deployment at the residence in light of official statements denying any pursuit of Kyagulanyi.
"If the government says they are not looking for our brother, why are they still guarding his home?" Kyagulanyi's brother, Mikie Wine, asked. "What exactly are they protecting?"
The family said they do not know Kyagulanyi's current whereabouts and alleged that security operatives have extended surveillance to their own homes, leaving them fearful.
"They have started monitoring us as well. We are living in fear, yet we have done nothing wrong," Mikie Wine said.
The siblings warned that they would take action if security forces do not vacate the Magere residence, saying they would not remain silent over what they described as continued harassment of their family.
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"We cannot keep quiet while our family is treated this way," they said.
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