Uganda's Opposition Leader Said He Was Taken By Security Forces After The President Won A Seventh Term
"We have said it many times that if General Museveni rigs the election, we shall call for protests."
Uganda’s opposition leader Bobi Wine said he was forcibly taken by the government security forces following the re-election of president Yoweri Museveni for his seventh term.
Uganda held its presidential election on Jan. 15, with heavy security presence and a government-ordered internet shutdown in the pre-election days, which police claim was to curb misinformation and prevent violence.
The 81-year-old, who has been ruling since 1986, had won the elections with 71.65% of the vote on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Wine, a musician turned politician, has alleged mass fraud during the election and called on supporters to protest.
Wine claimed there had been “massive ballot stuffing” as in some areas, the biometric identification machines stopped working, which led to paper ballots being used in the election.
He further described the vote as fraudulent and accused authorities of intimidation, corruption, and the exclusion of opposition agents from polling stations.
He later said that armed soldiers and police surrounded his home in Kampala after polls closed on Jan. 15, blocking access to the compound and restricting his movement.
Wine was previously placed under house arrest for days during the 2021 election for disputing the vote.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke denied he had been abducted and said Wine was not under arrest and could leave his home, but that access to the property was being controlled to prevent incitement and violence, according to AP.
Wine later said he was not taken away but confirmed that he and his family were confined inside their home for several hours while security forces remained stationed outside. “We are under siege,” he said in a post shared on his X account.
His party, the National Unity Platform, claimed members of his security team were assaulted during the overnight operation.
On Monday, Jan. 20, Uganda’s military chief and Museveni’s son Muhoozi Kainerugaba said he was praying for Wine’s death and gave him 48 hours to surrender to police, according to Reuters.
Kainerugaba, who is widely viewed as Museveni’s preferred successor, made a series of posts on X, referring to Wine by the nickname “Kabobi.”
“As for Kabobi, the permanent loser, I am giving him exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the Police,” Kainerugaba wrote. “If he doesn’t we will treat him as an outlaw/rebel and handle him accordingly.”
In another post, Kainerugaba said: “We have killed 22 NUP terrorists since last week. I’m praying the 23rd is Kabobi.”
Police spokesperson Rusoke said later on Monday that Wine was not being sought by authorities.
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