In the midst of a tense and contested presidential election in Uganda, police have refuted claims that opposition leader Bobi Wine was abducted from his home in the capital Kampala on Friday evening. The allegations, made by Wine’s party, stated that a helicopter had landed on the grounds of his house and forcibly taken him to an unknown location.
However, the opposition leader has since issued a statement saying he managed to escape during the night raid by security forces and is no longer at his home, though his wife and other family members remain under house arrest. The latest results from Thursday’s election show the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni holding a commanding lead, with 72% of the vote compared to Wine’s 24%, based on returns from 94% of polling stations.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday morning, police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke said that Wine was still in his home and that it was his family members who were “spreading untrue and unfounded” claims. Rusoke stated that Wine’s movements were restricted because his home was an area of “security interest” and that the police were controlling access to “security hotspots” to prevent “anybody from creating violence or destabilising our security.”
The internet blackout across Uganda has made it difficult to verify information, with Wine’s son, Solomon Kampala, admitting on social media that he was receiving conflicting reports about the security situation at his parents’ home. In a statement posted on Facebook, Wine said it had been “very difficult” at his home on Friday night, with the military and police raiding the property, switching off power, and cutting off some of the CCTV cameras.
The campaign period has been marred by violence, with news emerging that at least seven opposition supporters were killed overnight on Thursday in disputed circumstances in Butambala, about 35 miles southwest of the capital. The US embassy has also issued an alert to its citizens due to reports of the security forces “using tear gas and firing into the air to disperse gatherings.”
Despite the allegations of electoral irregularities and the restrictions on opposition activities, Museveni, who has been in power for 40 years, is widely expected to extend his rule with a seventh term in office. The 81-year-old president has argued that he is the sole guarantor of stability and progress in Uganda, while the 43-year-old Wine, a former pop star-turned-politician, represents the country’s youth and has promised to tackle corruption and implement sweeping reforms.
