In a concerning turn of events, Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has been forcibly removed from his home and taken to an unknown location, his party has reported. This development comes as President Yoweri Museveni appears poised for a landslide re-election victory in the country’s highly contested general election.
According to Wine’s National Unity Platform party, an army helicopter landed in the opposition leader’s compound in the capital Kampala on Friday and “forcibly taken him away.” The party claimed that Wine had been placed under effective house arrest the previous day, as the vote was held under an internet blackout that authorities said was necessary to prevent “misinformation.”
The allegations of Wine’s detention have not been independently verified, and government and military spokespersons have not yet responded to requests for comment. However, a senior member of the Ugandan opposition earlier reported that security forces had stormed Wine’s home in the early hours of Friday morning, shooting and killing 10 members of his campaign team.
The violence and apparent crackdown on the opposition come amid Wine’s allegations of widespread fraud during Thursday’s election. The 43-year-old, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has emerged as the main challenger to the long-ruling Museveni, styling himself as the “ghetto president” representing the informal settlements of Kampala where he grew up.
As of Friday evening, the electoral commission reported that Museveni held a commanding lead with nearly 74% of the vote, while Wine trailed with 23%. The remaining votes were split among six other candidates. Final results are expected by Saturday morning.
The election has been marred by clashes at opposition rallies and what the United Nations has described as widespread repression and intimidation of the opposition. Analysts have long viewed the outcome as a foregone conclusion, with the 76-year-old Museveni, a former guerrilla fighter who has ruled Uganda since 1986, maintaining a firm grip on the state and security apparatus.
In the wake of the reported violence and detentions, Wine has called on Ugandans to resist the “criminal regime” and its “insanity.” As the country awaits the final election results, the situation remains highly volatile, with concerns growing over the future of Uganda’s fragile democracy.
