False: Minister Kyofatogabye Did Not Warn Supporters Of The National Unity Platform Against Moving Freely In Kampala

How would officials from the Kampala Capital City Authority identify the supporters of NUP as opposed to the supporters of other parties?

Do the NUP supporters have a distinct way of walking that would make them a target?

The Claim
A claim shared on TikTok by an account identified as New.power422 about the State Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Kyofatogabye Kabuye, quoted as warning pedestrians who support the National Unity Platform (NUP) party to stop moving around Kampala “as if the city is for Kyagulanyi” is false.

The claim that garnered 269 Likes, 20 comments, 8 bookmarks and 84 shares reads: “Even those pedestrians who support #NUP should stop moving in our Kampala city anyhow as if the city is for Kyagulanyi…. KCCA has been ordered to restore good movements of NUP people on the streets after cracking down street Vendors”- Kyofatogabye, Minister warned pedestrians in Kampala. Tasha7News.”

The Facts
Kyofatogabye is the current state minister of KCC and metropolitan affairs and spoke to the media at the Media Centre about the expiry of the ultimatum to leave particular areas, given to the vendors, taxi drivers and motorcyclists (boda bodas). It was issued on February 2nd, 2026, by the minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Minsa Kabanda, as reported here, here, and here.

The Evidence

We started by using the Info Verifier tool to find out if Minister Kyofatogabye warned NUP pedestrians to stop moving around in Kampala streets and found that the tool couldn’t find any verified information confirming that Kyofatogabye warned NUP supporters to stop moving in Kampala streets as if they were the streets of Kyagulanyi.

The verified sources with closely related warnings were from 2024 and 2025, both warnings by the police against NUP supporters about processions and occupying the streets, while the claim is made in 2026, allegedly by Minister Kyofatogabye.

“Police have dared supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and anti-corruption activists to occupy Kampala streets, as they have been rallying supporters and other concerned Ugandans to do this week. Police Spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke said the force and sister security agencies are more than ready to avert any activities that are intended to surrender the country into recklessness.” reads the first paragraph of an article by the Uganda Radio Network (URN) published in 2024

We then did a simple Google search about the quote attributed to Minister Kyotagabye and found nothing confirming the quote attributed to him; however, the results showed that he warned pedestrians and traders against chaotic movement and illegal vending in Kampala, stating that the city is not managed by the opposition NUP party. Something quite far from the attributed quote.

We also went ahead to review media reports about the event provided from the search; all results pointed out that the minister was warning vendors, boda boda riders, and taxi drivers without stages to vacate the streets of Kampala or else risk their items being impounded or being presented before court, as shown here, here, here, here, and here.

“UPDATE: The state minister for Kampala, Kyofatogabye Kabuye, says that by tonight (8 PM), vendors should have vacated the streets. He adds that taxi operators picking up passengers along the roads and boda boda riders operating without designated stages are also expected to comply with the directive. He warns that by midnight, vendors found trading illegally in Kampala will be arrested and their merchandise impounded. #MonitorUpdates” reads a Facebook update by the Daily Monitor.

A Google reverse image search was also done on the photo of the minister used in the claim to find the full video or more media coverage about the event. The results showed that the minister did not talk about NUP or warn them about using the streets, as reported here, and here

A review of the Uganda Media Centre official X account shows no record of Minister Kyofatogabye making the statement attributed to him in the circulating post. The results showed an update that Hon. @kyofakabuye2, Minister of State for Kampala Capital City & Metropolitan Affairs, together with the @KCCAED and Uganda Police Spokesperson @mkituuma, is addressing the media on measures to restore trade order and streamline business operations in Kampala.

Source of the claim

We analysed the account that published the claims and learnt that the account is of an individual, not a media house, and that the owner is also not a journalist.

We also noticed that the account shares mostly pro-NUP content and critical content about the government, raising concerns about objectivity and credibility. A media house or an individual that chooses to inform the public is expected to follow the editorial ethics, like being objective while reporting and being truthful, which is not the case with the account.

Additionally, according to the claim, Minister Kyotagabye warned NUP supporters, and KCCA was ordered to restore the good movements of NUP people. This is fabricated because it suggests that they have a specific way of movement that makes them unique and a nuisance.

Instead, the minister said KCCA is helping to enforce, alongside the police, the new regulations. These operations are part of routine city management aimed at addressing illegal street vending and maintaining order in public spaces. This does not mean that the measures have been framed as targeting supporters of the National Unity Platform.

“The minister said KCCA has conducted extensive sensitisation and provided alternative trading spaces for vendors displaced by the directive,” reads the sixth paragraph of Chimpreports