**Kampala, Uganda** – Uganda's presidential election, held amidst a pervasive atmosphere of repression and an unprecedented internet blackout, has been thrown into further turmoil following incumbent President Yoweri Museveni's lead in the nascent vote tally and disturbing reports of the main opposition challenger, Bobi Wine, being forcibly removed from his residence. The electoral process, which concluded on Thursday, has been overshadowed by widespread allegations of irregularities and a concerning escalation of violence against opposition figures and their supporters.
As preliminary results began to emerge on Friday, indicating President Museveni was poised for a sixth term with a significant majority – reportedly securing 74% of the vote from 81% of polling stations, while Wine garnered 23% – 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, Kituuma Rusoke, 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 against attacks by alleged opposition "goons" on a police station and a vote-tallying centre, leading to an unspecified number of individuals being "put out of action" and 25 arrests, 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 in Butambala.
The credibility of the election results is now severely undermined in the eyes of the opposition, who have consistently alleged systemic fraud throughout the campaign and on election day. Bobi Wine had previously called for peaceful protests in response to alleged irregularities, a call that now appears even more precarious given his reported detention and the escalating violence. The lack of independent access for journalists and the pervasive digital blackout create a challenging environment for establishing a definitive account of events, leaving many to question the legitimacy of the electoral outcome and the future stability of Uganda. The international community is watching closely, with growing concerns over the democratic trajectory of the nation and the fate of its opposition leader.