- The National United Forum (NUP) reported that presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was forcibly taken from his home in a military operation
- According to NUP, the helicopter that landed in Bobi Wine area came with security officers who turned off the electricity
- The opposition party claimed that Bobi Wine was flown to an unknown location, raising concerns about political intimidation.
- The detention allegedly comes amid ongoing tensions in Uganda’s 2026 elections that have seen President Yoweri Museveni take the lead
Opposition leader and presidential candidate UgandaRobert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has reportedly been taken from his home.
Source: Twitter
The incident on Friday, January 16 is a surprising escalation in a violent election that has been marred by violence and allegations of vote fraud.
According to his party National Unity Platform (NUP), a military helicopter landed at Bobi Wine’s family compound in Kampala in the evening, and officers forcibly arrested him before taking him to an unknown location.
The party said the army also cut off the electricity supply to his home, destroyed the perimeter electric fence, and attacked the young politician’s personal security guards.
Supporters and family members were left in the dark, literally and figuratively, as fears grew about the NUP leader’s safety.
“An army helicopter has landed in the area of ​​President Bobi Wine and taken him by force to an unknown place. Government security personnel sent to the residence of President Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert have deliberately cut off the electricity and destroyed the electric fence along the bank.
President Bobi Wine’s personal security guards have been severely attacked despite not having done anything wrong. As the residence is now in total darkness, these workers are trying to force their way into the house, raising serious concerns about their intentions,” the NUP said in a statement shared on social media.
Was Bobi Wine under house arrest?
Bobi Wine himself had previously described the siege in alarming terms, claiming that the security forces were on a mission to arrest him.
He explained that officers had scaled the wall of his compound before placing his family under what he described as house arrest.
Bobi Wine said the administration of President Yoweri Museveni was showing the fear of Ugandans rising up against what he described as atrocities committed.
“Yesterday, after I cast my vote, the army surrounded my whole house to put me under house arrest. These criminals even jumped the fence and entered our area. My house is still under siege – no one is allowed in or out,” he wrote.
Source: Facebook
His party also confirmed the allegations of house arrest, saying that he had been denied access to his election agents.
The NUP called for his immediate release or prosecution if he was indeed involved in criminal activities, adding that Bobi Wine’s house was not an officially declared detention center.
When will the citizens of Uganda know the results of the election?
The incidents come a day after Ugandans cast their votes in an election held under internet blackouts, with Bobi Wine alleging massive fraud.
As the counting of votes continued, Museveni appeared to be on the way to a landslide victory, with the Electoral Commission reporting that he had received 73.7% support against Wine’s 22.7% with 81% of the votes counted.
The final results were scheduled to be announced on Saturday afternoon.
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