The statement reads, verbatim: “I have said it once and for all, all presidential candidates will be guarded only by the SFC. Any personal arrangements that do not concur with our standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be smashed immediately.”
All candidates wishing to stand for presidency in the 2026 general elections are to be guarded only by the Special Forces Command (SFC) soldiers and no any other arrangement falling outside this setup will be allowed, directs, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Muhoozi issued the directive via his X (formerly twitter) social media handle.
The statement reads, verbatim: “I have said it once and for all, all presidential candidates will be guarded only by the SFC. Any personal arrangements that do not concur with our standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be smashed immediately.”
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The routine procedure in past elections has been that presidential candidates have routinely been guarded by the Very Important Persons Protection Unit (VIPPU), a special unit within the Uganda Police Force responsible for providing security to high-profile individuals and key government installations right from campaigning time up to elections, in addition to being provided with fueled vehicles to cover their campaign trails.
The Presidential Elections Act, 2005 provides that the (electoral) commission shall ensure that the relevant organs of state provide during the entire campaign period (a) protection of each candidate and (b) adequate security at all meetings of candidates.
It adds however that (1a) notwithstanding, sub-section (1), the commission shall consult a candidate on his or her security detail.
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Presidential Candidates