In a surprising move, Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has announced that he will not contest the results of last Thursday’s election in court, citing a lack of confidence in the judiciary. Speaking to the BBC from a secret location, the 43-year-old former pop star stated that he will instead urge his supporters to take to the streets and peacefully protest the outcome.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, maintains that the results are “fake” and has alleged “ballot stuffing” without providing any concrete details. He has accused the security forces of not allowing food into his family home, where his wife and relatives are effectively under house arrest. The opposition leader claims he had to flee the house on Friday night during a raid by the security forces.
Despite concerns for his safety, Wine has vowed to continue standing up to President Yoweri Museveni, who won the election by a landslide, securing 72% of the vote. Wine, Museveni’s closest challenger, received 25% of the votes. The Ugandan government has not yet responded to Wine’s allegations, but the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has stated that the “technical and procedural” challenges observed on polling day did not undermine the overall fairness of the vote.
In his victory speech, Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, claimed that his election win demonstrates the dominance of his party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM). However, Wine has accused the security forces of a “silent massacre” and alleged that more than 100 people have been killed in election-related violence, without providing any evidence.
The African Union (AU) election observers have stated that they saw “no evidence of ballot stuffing,” but they condemned the days-long internet shutdown, which only returned hours after Museveni was declared the winner.
In a social media post, Uganda’s army chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also Museveni’s son and potential successor, threatened Wine, giving him “exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the police,” warning that he would be treated as an “outlaw/rebel” if he fails to do so.
Despite the ongoing tensions and threats, Wine has vowed to continue his fight for a “peaceful change” of regime, urging Ugandans to use any constitutional means to “fight back and protect their democracy.”
