Ugandan opposition figure and former pop star Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was forcibly removed from his home by an army helicopter on Friday, his party confirmed. This comes a day after a tense national election marked by reports of violence and an ongoing internet blackout.
Wine, 43, had earlier reported being confined to his residence under house arrest as police surrounded his compound. The National Unity Platform (NUP), his political party, said security forces assaulted Wine’s private guards before taking him to an undisclosed location.
President Yoweri Museveni, seeking to extend his 40-year tenure, was reported to be leading the vote count with 73.7% of votes to Wine’s 22.7%, with nearly 81% of ballots tallied. Final results were expected Saturday afternoon.
Elsewhere, allegations of election-related violence surfaced. Muwanga Kivumbi, a NUP lawmaker from Butambala, claimed that security personnel killed 10 of Wine’s campaign staff while they were hiding in a garage.
Authorities reportedly cleared the scene afterward. Police, however, described the events differently, saying a group of NUP supporters attempted to attack a tally centre and police station, resulting in several arrests.
Observers have long warned that Uganda’s elections tend to favor the incumbent. Museveni, a former guerrilla leader who came to power in 1986, maintains tight control over the state and security apparatus, often suppressing opposition movements.
The vote itself faced logistical problems, with biometric voter machines malfunctioning and ballot papers delayed in multiple areas. The United Nations has criticized the election environment, highlighting widespread intimidation and suppression of opposition activity.
Wine, who has styled himself the “ghetto president” in reference to his upbringing in Kampala’s slums, accused the government of large-scale ballot manipulation and targeting his party under cover of the internet shutdown, which began earlier this week.
