Museveni, Turkish Ambassador Hold Talks Amid PLU Demos

KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni met Türkiye’s Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Mehmet Fatih Ak, on Thursday as diplomatic tensions between Kampala and Ankara continued to simmer, a day before the Turkish Embassy closed ahead of a planned protest by supporters of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kampala Storage Terminal in Namwabula, Mpigi District, where President Museveni officiated the launch of the 320-million-litre petroleum storage facility.

State House shared photographs of the President meeting Ambassador Fatih but did not disclose details of their discussions, saying only that the two leaders discussed matters of bilateral interest.

Thursday’s meeting was attended by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune and Ambassador Leodand Mugerwa.

The engagement came just a day before hundreds of PLU supporters gathered outside the Turkish Embassy in Kampala on Friday to demand the extradition of Ugandan dissident Fred Lumbuye, who has been based in Türkiye.

The Turkish Embassy had announced that it would close on September 18 because of a protest demonstration expected near its premises. The demonstrations has been held today.

While State House did not indicate whether the planned demonstration or the Lumbuye case featured in Museveni’s meeting with Ambassador Fatih, diplomatic observers have suggested that the tensions surrounding the protest and Uganda-Türkiye relations were likely among the issues requiring attention.

The timing of the meeting has therefore drawn attention, with Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and chairman of PLU, and Turkish interests in Uganda.

Gen. Muhoozi had ordered PLU to organise a demonstration at the Turkish Embassy on September 18, naming PLU General Secretary Twala Fadhil to coordinate the mobilisation. He also issued a series of sharply worded statements against Turkish interests in Uganda.

The protest eventually took place on Friday, with hundreds of demonstrators gathering outside the embassy and calling for Lumbuye’s extradition. Fadhil said the demonstration was not directed against Turkish people but against Türkiye’s continued hosting of Lumbuye.

Lumbuye is wanted by Ugandan authorities over allegations including harmful propaganda, incitement and cybercrimes, according to PLU officials. His side was not immediately available for comment.

The confrontation is the latest episode in months of friction between Gen. Muhoozi and Ankara. The military chief has previously criticised Türkiye over Uganda’s role in Somalia and demanded what he described as a financial “security dividend” from Ankara. He has also previously threatened diplomatic and economic measures against Turkish interests.

However, the Museveni government has continued to engage Türkiye through formal diplomatic channels.

The President had also met Ambassador Fatih in July at his Kisozi Farm in Gomba District, where the two discussed Uganda-Türkiye bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

The latest engagement at Mpigi therefore comes against a backdrop of continued official diplomatic contact alongside increasingly public criticism of Türkiye by Gen. Muhoozi and his political movement.

Neither State House nor Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has publicly said that Uganda’s diplomatic relations with Türkiye have been suspended or that the government has adopted Gen. Muhoozi’s public calls against Turkish interests as official foreign policy.

The contrast between the President’s continued diplomatic engagement with Ankara and the PLU demonstration underscores the sensitivity of the dispute as Uganda seeks to preserve its broader relations with Türkiye, including cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure and other sectors.

The Turkish Embassy remained closed on Friday as the demonstration took place.