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Uganda’s main opposition party said on Friday that its leader, Bobi Wine, was taken by the army from his home in the capital and moved to an unknown location, as President Yoweri Museveni closed in on a decisive re-election victory.
Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) said in a statement posted on X that an army helicopter landed inside his Kampala compound and that soldiers “forcibly took him away to an unknown destination.” Reuters could not immediately verify the claim, and senior party officials said they were still seeking confirmation. Government and military spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.
The opposition leader has accused authorities of widespread fraud in Thursday’s election, which was conducted amid an internet blackout. NUP said earlier that Wine had effectively been placed under house arrest and called on supporters to protest what it described as an unfair process.
The vote has been widely viewed as a test of the political dominance of Museveni, 81, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, and of his ability to prevent unrest similar to that seen recently in neighbouring countries.
According to the electoral commission, Museveni held nearly 74% of the vote as of Friday evening, while Wine trailed with about 23%. Despite a campaign marked by clashes at opposition rallies and what the United Nations described as widespread repression and intimidation, voting on Thursday was largely peaceful.
However, violence was reported overnight in Butambala, about 55 kilometres southwest of Kampala. Police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe said machete-wielding opposition supporters attacked a police station and a vote-tallying centre, prompting security forces to respond “in self-defence.” She said 25 people were arrested.
That account was disputed by local opposition lawmaker Muwanga Kivumbi, who told Reuters that people were killed inside his home while waiting for election results for his parliamentary seat. He said security forces broke into the house and opened fire, describing the incident as a massacre. Police said they were not aware of any such incident at Kivumbi’s residence, which is near the police station.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm the circumstances surrounding the violence.
The developments deepen concerns over Uganda’s human rights record and the treatment of opposition figures at a moment of heightened political tension following the election.
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