Journalist Canary Mugume has questioned whether a meeting between President Yoweri Museveni and Turkey’s representative resolved the growing tensions between Kampala and Ankara, following a planned Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) demonstration at the Turkish Embassy.
Museveni met the Turkish Ambassador on Thursday on the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kampala Storage Terminal. Foreign Affairs Minister in charge of Regional Cooperation Haruna Kasolo was also present during the engagement, according to Mugume.
The meeting came a day before PLU supporters were scheduled to demonstrate at the Turkish Embassy in Kampala following a directive from PLU Chairman and Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
“President Yoweri Museveni met the Turkish Ambassador, together with the Foreign Affairs Minister in charge of Regional Cooperation Haruna Kasolo on the sidelines of the Kampala Storage Terminal groundbreaking ceremony yesterday,” Mugume said.
“Today, members of the PLU are planning a protest against the Turkish as commanded by CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba,” he added.
Mugume then questioned whether the presidential engagement had managed to settle the disagreements between Uganda and Türkiye.
“Looks like the issues weren’t resolved in yesterday’s meeting,” he said.
The PLU demonstration was centred on several grievances against Türkiye, including the continued presence of Ugandan blogger and government critic Fred Lumbuye in the country.
PLU Secretary General Twalla Fadil said protesters wanted Turkish authorities to extradite Lumbuye to Uganda, arguing that his return would allow him to face the country's judicial system. Fadil also objected to Lumbuye's reported application for asylum in Türkiye.
The organisation had been preparing for the September 18 demonstration for several days after Kainerugaba instructed Fadil to coordinate the mobilisation. PLU officially confirmed the planned protest and called on its structures and supporters to participate.
The Turkish Embassy in Kampala announced that it would close on Friday because of the planned demonstration near its premises. The embassy's decision temporarily suspended its operations but did not amount to a formal severance of diplomatic relations between Uganda and Türkiye.
During Friday's protest, Fadil said the demonstration was peaceful and warned that PLU could organise a larger action if Turkey failed to respond to its demands.
Mugume's remarks have therefore placed the timing of Museveni's meeting with the Turkish Ambassador against the backdrop of an increasingly public dispute involving Lumbuye, PLU and Uganda-Türkiye relations.