Uganda's presidential election, conducted under a pervasive atmosphere of repression and an unprecedented internet blackout, has been plunged into further turmoil. Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni is leading the nascent vote tally, while disturbing reports indicate that main opposition challenger Bobi Wine has been forcibly removed from his residence. The electoral process, which concluded on Thursday, has been significantly overshadowed by widespread allegations of irregularities and a concerning escalation of violence directed at opposition figures and their supporters.
As preliminary results began to emerge on Friday, suggesting President Museveni was poised for a sixth term with a substantial majority, the National Unity Platform (NUP), Wine's party, issued a dramatic statement. They asserted that an army helicopter had landed within Wine's compound, and he was subsequently taken away by military personnel to an undisclosed location. Wine's son corroborated these claims, stating that both his parents had been apprehended by the military. Earlier, Wine himself had communicated that his home was surrounded by security forces, effectively placing him under house arrest. A police spokesman referred to Wine as "a person of interest," a vague designation that has done little to assuage fears for his safety and whereabouts.
The unfolding events cast a dark shadow over an election already fraught with challenges. International observers and domestic civil society groups had voiced serious concerns about the fairness of the electoral environment in the preceding weeks, citing a crackdown on dissent and the systematic obstruction of opposition activities. The government's decision to impose a nationwide internet shutdown on the eve of the election has severely hampered independent verification of the vote count and made it exceedingly difficult for citizens and journalists to access or disseminate information, further fuelling suspicions of a lack of transparency.
The situation has been further exacerbated by reports of significant violence in various parts of the country. While the police maintain that security forces acted in self-defence, opposition sources paint a far more grim picture. Muwanga Kivumbi, a senior NUP official, has claimed that security forces stormed his residence early Friday morning, resulting in the deaths of ten members of his campaign team. Independent media reports have corroborated accounts of fatalities, with at least seven opposition supporters reported killed in disputed circumstances. The credibility of the election results is now severely undermined in the eyes of the opposition, who have consistently alleged systemic fraud. The international community is watching closely, with growing concerns over the democratic trajectory of the nation and the fate of its opposition leader.