The Turkish Embassy in Kampala was forced to close its doors on Friday, September 18, after the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) mobilised hundreds of supporters for a demonstration demanding that Türkiye hand over Ugandan political blogger Fred Kajubi Lumbuye.
The embassy had announced the closure a day earlier, citing the planned demonstration near its premises in Kololo. The decision was a proactive security measure ahead of the protest rather than a closure physically imposed by the demonstrators.
In a notice issued on September 17, the Turkish mission said it would suspend operations on Friday because of the planned protest demonstration.
The closure nevertheless highlighted the growing diplomatic tensions between Uganda and Türkiye, with PLU supporters accusing Ankara of interfering in Uganda’s affairs by continuing to host Lumbuye.
The demonstration was organised following a directive from PLU chairman and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who appointed the organisation’s Secretary General, Fadil Twalla, to coordinate the mobilisation.
PLU had spent days preparing for the demonstration, with its leadership holding mobilisation meetings and calling upon supporters from different parts of the country to participate. The party’s own account says the mobilisation was intended to ensure broad participation in the September 18 action.
Lumbuye at centre of protest
Lumbuye, who has lived in Türkiye for several years, became the central issue in the confrontation between PLU and the Turkish government.
Ugandan authorities have previously accused the blogger of spreading false information, inciting violence and committing cyber-related offences. His social media platforms have also been used to criticise President Yoweri Museveni’s government and members of the First Family.
Twalla said the protesters wanted Türkiye to extradite Lumbuye to Uganda to face the country’s justice system.
“Today, as instructed by our chairman, we held a successful and peaceful demonstration at the Turkish embassy,” Twalla said.
He accused Türkiye of harbouring people whom PLU considers a threat to Uganda’s peace and unity.
“We asked them to extradite Lumbuye as soon as possible if they truly value our bilateral relations with them and respect our sovereignty,” Twalla said.
PLU also objected to reports that Lumbuye’s lawyers had applied for asylum in Türkiye. Twalla argued that the application was intended to prevent Lumbuye from returning to Uganda to face charges.
He described Lumbuye as a person who should return home rather than seek protection in Türkiye.
Police block protesters
Although the PLU demonstrators set out for the Turkish Embassy, they did not reach the embassy gates.
Police and other security personnel deployed heavily around Kololo and blocked roads leading directly to the diplomatic mission. Officers intercepted the activists as they attempted to approach the embassy to deliver their petition.
The confrontation resulted in minor scuffles, but the demonstration did not develop into a major security incident.
The protesters were eventually prevented from physically accessing the embassy premises, meaning that while the mission had closed ahead of the protest, the demonstrators were also stopped from reaching its gates.
Twalla said embassy officials had indicated that they would respond to the protesters’ demands. However, reports later indicated that the embassy advised PLU to pursue the matter through diplomatic channels.
Threat of bigger protest
Twalla warned that Friday’s demonstration could be followed by a larger mobilisation if Türkiye failed to respond to PLU’s demands.
“If they don’t respond as they have promised, next time we will shut down the embassy with a wall of PLU supporters,” he said.
The warning came against a backdrop of months of increasingly public disagreements between Gen Muhoozi and Turkish authorities.
The dispute has gone beyond Lumbuye’s case, with Muhoozi previously criticising Turkish interests in Uganda and raising broader concerns about Türkiye’s conduct towards Uganda. He also ordered the September 18 demonstration and publicly called on PLU to mobilise for the action.
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