Photo credit: Aljazeera
Ugandan opposition leader Bobby Wine says he has escaped from house arrest after police denied claims from his party that he had been seized by helicopter, with the final result of Thursday’s election to be announced shortly.
Wine’s party had said a helicopter landed in the grounds of his house in the capital, Kampala, and forcibly took him to an unknown location.
However, Wine has since issued a statement saying he managed to escape during the night raid by the security forces and was no longer at his home. Meanwhile, his wife and other relatives are still under house arrest.
The latest results show that President Yoweri Museveni has a commanding lead and is set to extend his 40 years in power.
Museveni has 72% of the vote, with Wine on 24%, based on returns from 94% of polling stations.
Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke said wine was still in his home and that Wine’s family members were spreading “unfounded” claims.
He said Wine’s movements were restricted because his home was an area of “security interest”.
On Friday, the US Embassy issued an alert to its citizens because of reports of security forces “using tear gas and firing into the air to disperse gatherings”.
Meanwhile, Ugandans in Canada have launched a global protest and hunger strike as the Museveni regime turns the 2026 elections into a war. They are demanding that Canada and the international community compel the Uganda Electoral Commission to declare Bobby Wine as the winner.
