Ugandan Army Denies Abducting Opposition Leader Bobi Wine Amid Ongoing Election Crisis
The Ugandan army has dismissed claims that it had seized opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, saying the allegations were "baseless and unfounded." The assertion comes as the country's presidential election entered its final stretch, with incumbent President Yoweri Museveni poised to extend his 40-year rule.
According to Wine's party, the opposition leader was "forcibly taken" from his home in an army helicopter on Friday, but the army has vehemently denied these claims. Chris Magezi, a military spokesman, stated that the rumors were designed to incite Wine's supporters into violent acts.
Wine, a former singer turned politician, has been a vocal critic of Museveni's government and has accused it of massive ballot stuffing and attacking opposition officials under cover of the internet blackout imposed ahead of Thursday's polls. The elections have been marred by reports of at least 10 deaths and widespread repression against the opposition.
With over 80% of votes counted, Museveni is leading on 73.7%, while Wine trails behind with 22.7%. Wine has emerged as a main challenger to Museveni in recent years, styling himself as the "ghetto president" after growing up in Kampala's slum areas.
Analysts have long viewed the election as a formality, given Museveni's total control over the state and security apparatus. Election day was marred by significant technical problems, including malfunctioning biometric machines and undelivered ballot papers in many areas.
Reports of violence against opposition supporters have emerged in other parts of the country. Muwanga Kivumbi, a member of parliament for Wine's party, claimed that security forces had killed 10 of his campaign agents after storming their homes.
As the situation outside Wine's residence remains calm, the international community has expressed concerns over the ongoing crisis. The United Nations rights office had previously stated that the elections were taking place in an environment marked by "widespread repression and intimidation" against the opposition.
The Ugandan army has dismissed claims that it had seized opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, saying the allegations were "baseless and unfounded." The assertion comes as the country's presidential election entered its final stretch, with incumbent President Yoweri Museveni poised to extend his 40-year rule.
According to Wine's party, the opposition leader was "forcibly taken" from his home in an army helicopter on Friday, but the army has vehemently denied these claims. Chris Magezi, a military spokesman, stated that the rumors were designed to incite Wine's supporters into violent acts.
Wine, a former singer turned politician, has been a vocal critic of Museveni's government and has accused it of massive ballot stuffing and attacking opposition officials under cover of the internet blackout imposed ahead of Thursday's polls. The elections have been marred by reports of at least 10 deaths and widespread repression against the opposition.
With over 80% of votes counted, Museveni is leading on 73.7%, while Wine trails behind with 22.7%. Wine has emerged as a main challenger to Museveni in recent years, styling himself as the "ghetto president" after growing up in Kampala's slum areas.
Analysts have long viewed the election as a formality, given Museveni's total control over the state and security apparatus. Election day was marred by significant technical problems, including malfunctioning biometric machines and undelivered ballot papers in many areas.
Reports of violence against opposition supporters have emerged in other parts of the country. Muwanga Kivumbi, a member of parliament for Wine's party, claimed that security forces had killed 10 of his campaign agents after storming their homes.
As the situation outside Wine's residence remains calm, the international community has expressed concerns over the ongoing crisis. The United Nations rights office had previously stated that the elections were taking place in an environment marked by "widespread repression and intimidation" against the opposition.
. Museveni's been in power for so long, it's like he's got a stranglehold on everything 
. The opposition's always speaking truth to power, but they get silenced 🗇️. Wine's a good guy, I guess 
, but the system is rigged against him 
. All this violence and intimidation? No way, man 
. Can't we just have some peace and fair elections? 
what kind of security are we talking about here? 
And don't even get me started on the internet blackout 
. It's like they're trying to control every aspect of people's lives 
.
. But I'm not holding my breath 
. This whole thing feels too shady 
. Can we just have some clarity and honesty? 
This is a total joke Bobi Wine thinks he can just get abducted on a whim & everyone will just sit back? 
The army's got nothing to hide if this is really happening then they'd be all over it like a bad rash. 
I'm calling BS on this one. The real question is what's going on behind the scenes with Museveni & his crew. Are we supposed to believe that the opposition's just gonna take this lying down? 
Newsflash: Uganda needs some actual change, not more of the same old thing from Museveni. 
This whole thing is so messed up 
. I mean, 40 years of rule and still no one's holding Museveni accountable? It's like he's above the law, you know? 
. I don't believe it for a second. Those guys have been playing dirty from day one 
. The international community needs to do something about this. This is what happens when power corrupts 
. We need to see some real change in Uganda, you feel me? 
. The fact that Wine's party is accusing them of ballot stuffing and election rigging? Please, it's a done deal at this point 
. And now he's basically being accused of hijacking Bobi Wine, but the army says it's all a big lie 
. This whole thing just reeks of election tampering 
it's time for Uganda to look at itself and figure out how it can improve its electoral process 
... It's like Museveni is playing with fire, but at the same time, he knows his army has got a tight grip on everything 
. The way things have been going on, I think it's gonna get messy 
. And what's with the international community just saying words and not doing anything about it? 
We need more action, not just condemnation... Can we imagine if this was a Western country with Museveni at the helm? There'd be riots in the streets right now 
.
. And what's with all these allegations of ballot stuffing? Can't we just trust the system... or at least have some faith that it's not completely rigged 
The international community's gettin' involved now, but what about the Ugandans themselves? Shouldn't they be the ones makin' their voices heard? 
It's just so... frustrating. 
newsflash: Museveni ain't goin' nowhere anytime soon and until he does, it's best for everyone to just chill out
. And then to have the army deny it but claim that the rumors are meant to incite violence... come on! 
I just hope the international community keeps putting pressure on Museveni's government until some real answers come out.
. I'm worried about the international community's response - will it put enough pressure on Museveni to do some real change or is it just lip service? 
It seems like just another attempt to stir up drama in an already contentious election 
. And what about Wine's own party members who are saying he was killed? That's some serious hearsay right there 
this election is getting super weird... 
for speaking out against museveni's corrupt gov 
and now he's in hiding because of the army's crazy actions 
i hope they catch whoever did this to him tho 
reports of other opposition supporters getting killed or arrested are super concerning 
and museveni's 40-year rule needs to come to an end 
. It's all about control and maintaining that 40-year grip on power for Museveni