President Yoweri Museveni’s victory speech has set off fresh political shockwaves after he openly revealed that the arrest of Catholic priest Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira was driven by his association with opposition leader Bobi Wine and the National Unity Platform (NUP) party not the officially stated money laundering charges.
Speaking during his post-election address on Sunday 18th January 2026 , Museveni disclosed that Fr. Ssekabira was arrested in December 2025 in Masaka because of his political ties to the opposition.
His remarks suggest that the priest’s associations, rather than any financial wrongdoing, were at the heart of state suspicion.
“We told him, ‘Your problem is not money laundering. Your problem is working with Bobi Wine,’” Museveni said.
In another startling admission, the President revealed that the priest’s release came with conditions including confessing and cutting ties with opposition activities. Museveni defended the move as a preventive security measure, insisting it was necessary to stop Uganda from sliding into instability.
“I thank the Ugandans, even some NUP members, who refused to cause chaos. We cannot become like Libya,” he added.
The remarks have ignited heated debate across the country. Critics argue that Museveni’s statement exposes the growing politicisation of security agencies and shrinking space for dissent in Uganda’s charged electoral environment.