By Wamala Sipirian
Published: September 18, 2026
Supporters of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) demonstrated outside the Turkish Embassy in Kampala on Friday, September 18, demanding that Turkey hand over Ugandan political blogger Fred Lumbuye to face criminal charges in Uganda.
The demonstration was led by PLU Secretary General Fadil Twalla and followed a directive from PLU chairman and Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Twalla said the group was also protesting reports that Lumbuye’s lawyers had applied for asylum in Turkey.
“Today, as instructed by our chairman, we held a successful and peaceful demonstration at the Turkish embassy,” Twalla said.
He called on Turkish authorities to return Lumbuye to Uganda, arguing that the two countries’ diplomatic relationship should include cooperation over people wanted by Ugandan authorities.
“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 Opposes Lumbuye’s Reported Asylum Application
Lumbuye has lived in Turkey for years and has used social media to comment on Ugandan politics and criticise President Yoweri Museveni’s government and members of his family.
Ugandan authorities have accused him of offences including spreading harmful or false information, incitement and cyber-related crimes. These are allegations against Lumbuye, and he was not available for comment in the reporting reviewed.
Twalla disputed reports that Lumbuye was seeking asylum in Turkey, arguing that he should instead return to Uganda and face the country’s justice system.
According to Daily Monitor, Twalla said PLU considered Lumbuye’s continued stay in Turkey inconsistent with the relationship between Uganda and Turkey.
Turkish Embassy Had Closed Ahead of Protest
The Turkish Embassy in Kampala had announced that it would close on September 18 because of the planned demonstration. The embassy issued the notice on September 17 and advised Turkish citizens about the temporary closure.
Reports differed on what happened after protesters presented their demands. Twalla said embassy officials had indicated that they would respond, while Daily Monitor reported that the embassy rejected the petition and advised PLU to pursue the matter through diplomatic channels.
The embassy had not publicly announced an extradition decision on Lumbuye at the time of publication.
Twalla Threatens Further Demonstration
Twalla warned that PLU could organise another demonstration if Turkey did not respond to its 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 protest has added to broader tensions between Uganda and Turkey that have recently involved public statements from Muhoozi concerning Turkish interests in Uganda and Lumbuye’s continued stay in the country.
Reuters photographs from the demonstration showed PLU members and riot police outside the Turkish Embassy in Kampala.
The dispute over Lumbuye’s status remains unresolved, with the legal basis and status of any formal extradition or asylum proceedings not fully clear from publicly available reporting.