UPDF Has Not Withdrawn Tooro Royal Guards – Col Chris Magezi

What the report says

The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces has rejected claims that it withdrew Tooro royal guards from Karuziika Palace, according to SoftPower News. In a statement released on Friday, UPDF Acting Director of Defence Public Information Col Chris Magezi said the army had not pulled back its presence and instead reinforced security at the palace. The military also dismissed reports that members of the royal family and other residents were being held under lockdown or house arrest.

The statement comes amid concerns about security around the Tooro Kingdom’s royal residence in western Uganda. Karuziika Palace is the official seat of the Tooro monarch, so any change in security arrangements there is politically and culturally sensitive. SoftPower News reported the denial as a response to public claims circulating about the status of the royal guards and the movement of people around the palace.

The development matters because it touches on the relationship between the state security forces and traditional institutions in Uganda. It also reflects how quickly unverified claims about restrictions on royal family members can spread and prompt an official response. Based on the publisher’s report, the UPDF’s message was aimed at clarifying that the situation at Karuziika Palace had not changed in the way critics alleged.