In the tense aftermath of Uganda’s disputed presidential election, opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, has dramatically announced that he evaded a nighttime raid by police and military forces on his home in Kampala.
The 43-year-old former pop star-turned-politician posted on X that the operation unfolded late Friday, with assailants cutting power, disabling CCTV cameras and helicopters hovering overhead.
“Last night was very difficult at our home… The military and the police raided us,” he wrote. “I want to confirm that I managed to escape from them. Currently, I am not at home.”
Wine added that his wife, Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi, and other family members remained under house arrest, while he was in hiding to evade capture. Sources close to the opposition figure confirmed he was at large in Uganda, though his exact location remains undisclosed amid a nationwide internet blackout that has hampered verification.
Initial abduction claim denied
The National Unity Platform initially claimed an army helicopter had landed in Wine’s compound and “forcibly took him away to an unknown destination,” sparking fears of abduction reminiscent of past crackdowns. Police swiftly denied the allegations. Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told a press conference that Wine was safely at home and “not under arrest.”
Museveni poised for landslide win
The incident comes as veteran President Yoweri Museveni, 81 and in power since 1986, appears poised for a landslide victory. With over 90 percent of polling stations counted on Saturday morning, the Electoral Commission reported Museveni securing nearly 72% of the vote, while Wine trailed with 24%. Opposition figures have decried the tally as “fake,” citing widespread ballot stuffing, military interference and detention of polling agents.
Thursday’s vote unfolded under heavy security and a sweeping internet shutdown imposed by authorities to curb “misinformation” and potential unrest — a measure condemned by the United Nations as a threat to transparency.
Post-election violence in Butambala
Tensions escalated overnight Friday in Butambala district, 55 kilometres southwest of Kampala, where conflicting accounts emerged of deadly violence. Police said 7 people died after machete-wielding opposition supporters attacked a station and tally centre, prompting officers to fire in self-defence. National Unity Platform lawmaker Muwanga Kivumbi countered that security forces killed 10 people inside his home around 3.00am, describing it as a “massacre” while supporters awaited parliamentary results. Police denied any incident at the residence.
Independent verification remains elusive in the information vacuum created by the blackout and restricted access. Wine has rejected the results outright, urging peaceful protests against what he calls “criminality” and affirming that “the people of Uganda will ultimately win.”
