By Swift Reporter
The Turkish Embassy in Kampala has closed its doors on Friday, September 18, after the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) mobilised supporters for a demonstration outside the diplomatic mission over the continued stay of Ugandan government critic Fred Kajubi Lumbuye in Türkiye.
The embassy announced the closure on Thursday, advising Turkish citizens that it would suspend operations because of the planned demonstration.
“Due to the protest demonstration planned to take place near our embassy, our embassy will be closed tomorrow (September 18, 2026),” the notice, written in Turkish, said.
The protest was organised by the PLU following a directive from its chairman, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces.
Gen Kainerugaba announced the demonstration on September 9 and assigned PLU General Secretary Twalla Fadil to coordinate the mobilisation. The PLU subsequently held meetings with regional and sub-regional coordinators to prepare for the protest.
Fadil later confirmed that the demonstration would take place at the Turkish Embassy, accusing Türkiye of interfering in Uganda’s sovereignty.
“September 18, 2026, our stop will be at the Turkish Embassy. Playing around with the sovereignty of our country will not be taken lightly,” Fadil wrote.
He added: “If you annoy our chairman, @mkainerugaba, the greatest CDF in the world, you annoy the entire PLU. It’s a date.”
The dispute has largely centred on Lumbuye, a Ugandan government critic who has lived in Türkiye for several years and has continued to publish commentary on Ugandan politics online.
Ugandan authorities and PLU leaders have accused Lumbuye of activities including harmful propaganda, incitement and cybercrimes, and have called for him to be returned to Uganda.
The issue has become part of a wider dispute between Gen Kainerugaba and Turkish authorities. The army chief has repeatedly criticised Türkiye over Lumbuye’s continued presence in the country and over what he describes as Ankara’s failure to recognise Uganda’s military contribution to peacekeeping efforts in Somalia.
In September, Gen Kainerugaba also called on Turkish nationals to leave Uganda and said he had severed ties with Turkish interests in the country. He later deleted the post calling for Turkish nationals to leave, while the planned embassy demonstration remained in place.
The latest protest comes after earlier demonstrations at the Turkish Embassy were postponed as the dispute continued.
Hundreds of Ugandans gathered outside the embassy on Friday, demanding Lumbuye’s extradition. Fadil told the protesters that they were demonstrating against the use of Turkish territory by Lumbuye to criticise Uganda’s leadership, while stressing that the action was not directed against the Turkish people.
“We have gathered here today not as enemies of Turkish people but as patriots of Uganda who are deeply disappointed,” Fadil said.
The tensions have also extended beyond the Lumbuye case.
Gen Kainerugaba has previously criticised Türkiye over its growing role in Somalia, where Uganda has deployed troops for years as part of international efforts to support the Somali government against al-Shabab.
Türkiye has also expanded its security and economic engagement in Somalia, making it an increasingly important partner for Mogadishu. Uganda, meanwhile, is expected to withdraw its peacekeeping forces from Somalia by August 2027.
Despite the public dispute, Uganda and Türkiye continue to maintain diplomatic relations, with ties covering areas including trade, infrastructure, education and other forms of cooperation.
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