Ugandan Police Deny Arrest of Bobi Wine as Museveni Moves Toward Re-Election Landslide

Ugandan police on Saturday denied claims by opposition leader Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) that he had been arrested by soldiers as President Yoweri Museveni tightened his grip on a landslide re-election victory.

NUP alleged late Friday that an army helicopter landed at Wine’s residence in Kampala and that he was forcibly taken to an unknown location. Reuters said it could not independently verify the claim.

National police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said Wine was at his home and not under arrest. “He is free to move,” Rusoke said during a televised briefing. Wine and NUP officials were not immediately available for comment.

Wine has accused authorities of mass fraud in Thursday’s election, which was conducted under an internet blackout, and urged supporters to protest. His party previously said he had been placed under de facto house arrest.

The vote was widely viewed as a test of Museveni’s political dominance at age 81 and his ability to avoid unrest similar to that seen recently in neighbouring Tanzania and Kenya. Preliminary results showed Museveni leading with nearly 72 percent of the vote, while Wine trailed with 24 percent, with over 90 percent of polling stations counted.

Although voting itself passed peacefully after a campaign marred by clashes and what the United Nations described as widespread repression and intimidation, violence erupted early Friday in Butambala, southwest of Kampala.

Police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe said opposition supporters armed with machetes attacked a police station and vote-counting centre, prompting security forces to open fire in self-defence. She said 25 people were arrested.

Local MP Muwanga Kivumbi rejected that account, claiming security forces stormed his home around 3am and opened fire on people gathered inside awaiting election results. “They killed 10 people inside my house,” he said, describing the incident as a massacre.

Police said they were not aware of any incident inside the residence. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the competing accounts.