Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said on Saturday that he escaped a raid by police and soldiers on his home, after authorities denied claims that he had been arrested following Uganda’s presidential election, which was won by veteran leader Yoweri Museveni in a landslide, according to the elector
Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) said late on Friday that an army helicopter landed at his home in the capital, Kampala, and that he was "forcibly taken away to an unknown destination". Police rejected the claim, saying he was not under arrest.
In a post on X, Wine said security forces raided his house overnight, cut electricity and disabled some CCTV cameras, but that he managed to flee.
"I want to confirm I managed to escape from them. Currently, I am not at home," he said.
Wine added that his wife and other family members were under house arrest, a claim Reuters could not immediately verify. People close to him said he remained at large in Uganda.
Earlier, national police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told a televised news conference that Wine was at home and free to move.
"He is not under arrest," Rusoke said.
The developments came after the head of Uganda’s electoral commission said on Saturday that Museveni had won the presidential election by a landslide, extending his rule that began in 1986.
Nearly final results showed Museveni securing about 72% of the vote, while Wine trailed with roughly 24%, with more than 90% of polling stations counted, according to the commission.
Wine has alleged widespread fraud in Thursday’s vote, which was held under a broad internet blackout, and has urged supporters to protest.
After a campaign marked by clashes at opposition rallies and what the United Nations described as widespread repression and intimidation, voting itself passed peacefully. However, violence later broke out in the town of Butambala, about 55 km southwest of Kampala.
Police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe said machete-wielding opposition "goons", organised by local MP Muwanga Kivumbi, attacked a police station and a vote-tallying centre, prompting officers to open fire in self-defence. She said seven people were killed, three injured and 25 arrested.
Kivumbi disputed the account, saying 10 people were killed by security forces inside his house while supporters were waiting for parliamentary results.
"They killed 10 people inside my house," he said.
Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the circumstances surrounding the violence.
Israel launched strikes on Tehran and Beirut on Saturday (21 March) as the United States deployed ...
The Trump administration has waived sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil at sea for 30 days on Friday (20 Marc...
The trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has officially become the most-watched trailer of all time, racking up 718.6 million views in its first 2...
Georgia’s relationship with the European Union is coming under increasing strain, as Members of the European Parliament openly criticise both...
Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris, the martial artist, actor and cultural icon best known for his roles in action films and the long-running CB...
Ugandan authorities partially restored internet services after President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term, extending his rule into a fifth decade.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 17th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Here are the latest stories from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across the African continent.
The United Nations has called on Uganda to lift a nationwide internet blackout ahead of Thursday’s general election, describing the restrictions as “deeply worrying.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field without U.S. or Qatari involvement, and warned that any Iranian attack on Qatar would prompt massive retaliation. The comments come as regional tensions soar after Tehran fired missiles at Gulf energy sites.
Israel reportedly launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Friday (20 March), a day after U.S. President Donald Trump told it not to repeat its strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure, which sharply escalated the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris, the martial artist, actor and cultural icon best known for his roles in action films and the long-running CBS series Walker, Texas Ranger, has died at the age of 86.
Transport groups across the Philippines launched a nationwide strike on Thursday in protest against rising oil prices. The action affected 15 to 20 protest centres in Metro Manila, with similar demonstrations taking place across several major provinces.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has refused to lift his opposition to a €90 billion ($104 billion) European Union loan to help Ukraine keep up its fight against Russia’s invasion, following a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday (19 March).
A U.S. federal arts body has approved the design of a 24-karat gold commemorative coin featuring President Donald Trump, on Thursday (19 March) paving the way for its release as part of celebrations marking the country’s 250th anniversary on 4 July.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter has been shown driving a battle tank in newly released state media images - an unusually prominent display that has intensified speculation about her future role within the regime.
Tehran’s envoy in Mexico Abolfazi Pasandideh has called on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to change its World Cup 2026 matches from the United States to Mexico.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Danish troops flown to Greenland in January were ready to blow up airport runways in the event of a potential U.S. attack, Denmark’s public broadcaster DR reported on Thursday (19 March), citing soruces within the country and among European allies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment