Ugandan Opposition Leader Bobi Wine Claims Escape From Arrest Amid Disputed Polls
Ugandan opposition leader and National Unity Platform presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has said he escaped an alleged security raid on his residence and is currently in hiding, as Uganda awaits the final outcome of a tense and controversial general election.
Wine made the disclosure on Saturday amid conflicting reports over his whereabouts following claims by his party that security forces stormed his home on Friday night, a day after elections held under an internet blackout and marked by reports of violence.
Posting on X, Wine said he narrowly escaped arrest and is no longer at his residence, though members of his family remain under heavy security watch.
“I want to confirm that I managed to escape from them. Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest,” he wrote.
“I know these criminals are looking for me everywhere, and I am trying my best to keep safe.”
Earlier reports had suggested that the opposition leader was forcibly taken away in an army helicopter, claims that later drew denials from the police.
As of Saturday, President Yoweri Museveni, 81, appeared set to be declared winner of the presidential election, extending his nearly 40-year rule.
Partial results released by the Electoral Commission showed Museveni leading with about 71.9 per cent of the vote, while Wine trailed with 24.5 per cent, with over 90 per cent of ballots counted.
Security was visibly heightened across the capital, Kampala, with armed personnel deployed to major streets.
Journalists observed security forces dispersing civilians as authorities sought to prevent post-election protests similar to those witnessed recently in neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said security agencies had merely restricted access to what they described as security hotspots, including Wine’s residence, insisting that the move was to prevent gatherings capable of inciting violence.
“We have not necessarily denied people access to him, but we cannot tolerate situations where his residence is used to mobilise people to incite unrest,” Rusoke said.
Residents around Wine’s home reported a heavy security presence, with one stall owner, Prince Jerard, saying he heard drones and helicopters hovering over the area on Friday night.
“Many people have left the area. There is a lot of fear,” he said.
Wine, a former pop star turned politician, has emerged as Museveni’s strongest challenger in recent years and is widely known as the “ghetto president,” a reference to his upbringing in Kampala’s slum communities.
He has accused the government of widespread ballot stuffing and targeted attacks on his supporters during the internet blackout imposed ahead of the election.
African election observers said they found no direct evidence of ballot manipulation but condemned reports of intimidation, arrests, and abductions involving opposition figures and civil society groups.
Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, who led observer missions from the African Union, COMESA, and IGAD, said such actions instilled fear and undermined public confidence in the electoral process.
Jonathan also criticised the internet shutdown, noting that it disrupted effective election monitoring and heightened suspicion, although he described voting on election day as largely peaceful.
Analysts have long viewed the election as predictable, citing Museveni’s firm grip on state institutions and the security apparatus since taking power in 1986.
Another prominent opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, remains on trial for treason after being abducted in Kenya in 2024 and returned to Uganda.
There were also reports of election-related violence, with a lawmaker from Wine’s party alleging that security forces killed 10 campaign agents during an operation in central Uganda.
Police disputed the claim, stating that an unspecified number of individuals were neutralised after allegedly attempting to attack a tally centre and police station.
