George Anjay
Police in Uganda have vehemently denied allegations that presidential candidate Bobi Wine was abducted by helicopter on Friday evening, amidst ongoing vote counting and a nationwide internet blackout. Wine’s political party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), initially claimed that a helicopter landed at his residence in the capital, Kampala, and forcibly removed him to an undisclosed location. The situation became more confused when Wine’s son, Solomon Kampala, posted updates on social media, first stating that both his parents had been taken, and later retracting that his father had "escaped" while his mother remained under house arrest. These conflicting reports fueled uncertainty regarding the opposition leader’s whereabouts.
As of Saturday morning, the latest electoral figures indicated that President Yoweri Museveni was on track for victory, securing 72% of the vote, with Bobi Wine trailing at 24%. These results were based on the tabulation of returns from 94% of the polling stations across the country. In a press conference held on Saturday, police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke asserted that Bobi Wine remained at his home in Kampala and characterized the claims of his abduction by his family members as "untrue" and "unfounded." Rusoke explained that Wine’s movements were restricted due to his home being designated as an area of "security interest." He stated, "We have controlled access to areas which are security hotspots. We cannot allow people to use some places to gather and cause chaos. All our actions are intended to prevent anybody from creating violence or destabilising our security."
Earlier, on Friday, Bobi Wine had urged his supporters to disregard the "fake results" being announced, accusing the authorities of actively "stealing the vote." He did not present any evidence to substantiate these claims, and the government had not yet issued a formal response to his allegations. Solomon Kampala’s social media updates further complicated the narrative, as he admitted to receiving conflicting information about the security situation at his parents’ home. His Saturday morning post read, "Amidst the raid my father was able to escape, my mother is still currently under [house] arrest, still nobody is allowed to enter the house." The widespread internet outage across Uganda has made it exceptionally difficult for citizens and independent observers to verify information and ascertain the true state of affairs.
Tragically, news emerged later on Friday that at least seven opposition supporters had been killed in disputed circumstances in Butambala, a district located approximately 55 kilometers (35 miles) southwest of the capital, on Thursday. In response to reports of security forces using tear gas and firing into the air to disperse gatherings, the US embassy issued an alert to its citizens, highlighting the volatile situation.
The voting process on Thursday was plagued by significant delays, with many polling stations experiencing disruptions of up to four hours. These delays were attributed to the slow arrival of ballot boxes and malfunctions with the biometric machines used for voter verification. Some observers have suggested a potential link between these technical issues and the nationwide internet blackout. Despite these challenges, Electoral Commission chief Simon Byabakama stated on Friday that the vote counting process had not been adversely affected by the internet outage and that the final results were expected to be released before 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday.
The election campaign leading up to Thursday’s vote was marked by considerable violence and tension. President Museveni, an 81-year-old leader who first came to power in 1986 as a rebel leader, was seeking an unprecedented seventh term in office. His main challenger, Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old pop star-turned-politician, represents a younger generation and promises to address corruption and implement sweeping reforms, appealing to the nation’s predominantly young population. Museveni, on the other hand, positions himself as the indispensable guarantor of stability and progress in Uganda. While six other candidates were on the ballot, the presidential race was largely viewed as a direct contest between Museveni and Wine.
The pre-election period was characterized by the suppression of opposition activities. Security forces faced accusations of assaulting and detaining Bobi Wine’s supporters. Police spokesman Rusoke, however, dismissed these complaints, instead accusing opposition supporters of engaging in disruptive behavior. The suspension of internet access on Tuesday, which the Uganda Communications Commission stated was a measure to prevent misinformation, fraud, and incitement to violence, drew strong condemnation from the UN human rights office as "deeply worrying." This move significantly hampered the ability of citizens to access independent news and share information freely. The election outcome, as indicated by the current tallies, suggests a continuation of President Museveni’s long tenure, but the surrounding controversies and the NUP’s allegations of electoral malpractice cast a shadow over the process. The international community is closely monitoring the situation for any further developments and the official declaration of results.
Nakalama John
Ramos Leo
atisusanti