By Micah Jonah
January 17, 2026
Uganda’s military has denied claims that opposition leader, Bobi Wine was abducted from his home, as confusion, tension continued following a tightly contested presidential election held under an internet blackout.
Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, said on Friday that security forces had placed him under house arrest. Shortly after, his political party, the National Unity Platform, claimed he was forcibly taken from his residence by an army helicopter, moved to an unknown location.
The army rejected the allegation, calling it false and dangerous.
Army spokesperson, Chris Magezi said reports of Wine’s arrest were baseless, meant to provoke unrest among his supporters.
Despite the denial, limited communication caused by the nationwide internet shutdown has made it difficult to independently confirm Wine’s whereabouts or the exact events around his home.
Journalists in Kampala reported calm outside Wine’s residence early Saturday, however, party officials said security personnel had entered the compound. One party official said men believed to be soldiers and other security agents jumped over the fence, though it was unclear whether Wine was present at the time.
Wine had earlier accused authorities of widespread ballot manipulation, urged citizens to resist what he described as a criminal system. His comments followed months of intense political pressure, arrests of opposition supporters and restrictions on campaign activities.
International observers, including the United Nations, had warned that the election environment was marked by repression and intimidation.
As vote counting progressed, the Electoral Commission announced that President Yoweri Museveni was leading with about 73.7 percent of the vote, while Wine had about 22.7 percent, with most ballots already counted. Museveni, 81, is seeking to extend his rule of nearly four decades.
Final results are expected later today in Kampala.
While voting on election day was largely peaceful, violence later broke out in parts of the country. In Butambala, southwest of the capital, at least seven people were reported killed overnight after clashes involving security forces and opposition supporters.
Police said attackers, armed with machetes targeted a police station and a vote counting center, blaming supporters linked to an opposition lawmaker. The lawmaker denied the accusation and said security forces fired on civilians who had gathered to await results, claiming more deaths occurred than officially reported.
As uncertainty continues over Wine’s safety and the credibility of the vote, political tension remains high, with citizens largely cut off from independent verification due to the ongoing internet restrictions.
