The Ministry of Water and Environment has come out to firmly dismiss claims made by opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, alleging that the government planted surveillance equipment at One Love Beach in Busabala to spy on him.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), the Ministry clarified that the device in question is not a surveillance camera, but rather a Water Bouy — a navigational aid meant to enhance marine safety on Uganda’s inland waters. “Please be informed that this is a Water Bouy. Eleven such NAVIGATIONAL AIDS have been placed around Uganda’s inland waters to mark hazards and provide information ensuring safe passage for water vessels,” the Ministry wrote. “These are NOT in place to monitor any individual’s activities and conversations!”
This response came a day after Bobi Wine made a detailed post accusing the “criminal regime” of expanding its surveillance network to monitor his movements, associates, and activities. In the post, the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader claimed that new cameras had been installed on a telecom mast directly behind his office in Makerere-Kavule. According to him, these cameras are just one part of a broader, systematic effort by the state to spy on him and his political operations.
“They want to know who visits me, who I meet, where I go,” Bobi Wine wrote. “This is in addition to the cameras they have planted at every other location where they know we may gather… They are scared of us that they have to monitor our movements and actions 24/7.”
Among the locations he listed as being under constant surveillance were his home in Magere, the NUP School of Leadership in Kamwokya, One Love Beach in Busabala, and other roads leading to NUP offices.
The Ministry’s rebuttal, however, appears aimed at clearing its name from these accusations, distancing its marine infrastructure projects from what it calls unfounded surveillance fears. The Ministry’s clarification aligns with its broader mandate of environmental protection and water safety, rather than security or political monitoring.
Nonetheless, Bobi Wine’s claims have reignited public debate over state surveillance, personal privacy, and political freedoms in Uganda. As the 2026 general elections draw closer, tensions between government institutions and opposition figures continue to intensify, with even navigational tools now caught in the storm of political mistrust.
