Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has gone into hiding after security forces raided his home, escalating tensions following last week’s disputed presidential election.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said he narrowly escaped the raid and has since been constantly on the move. He said he is being sheltered and protected by ordinary citizens, while his wife and other relatives remain under house arrest.
The singer-turned-politician was the main challenger to long-time President Yoweri Museveni in the election. Official results showed Museveni winning with 72 percent of the vote, compared with just under 25 percent for Wine. Wine has rejected the outcome, describing it as “blatant theft.”
Speaking to AFP about his party’s next steps, Wine said there was no fixed strategy. “In a dictatorship, you don’t draw a strategy, but you respond to the kind of oppression,” he said.
The situation worsened after Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s army chief, issued a public threat against Wine. In a social media post on Tuesday, Kainerugaba claimed security forces had killed 22 members of Wine’s National Unity Platform, referring to them as “terrorists,” and said he hoped Wine would be next.
Wine dismissed the threat, saying he is not a criminal. “I’m a presidential candidate, and it’s not a crime to run against his father,” he said.
President Museveni has accused the opposition of terrorism and attempting to use violence to overturn the election. The vote was marred by unrest, arrests, and an internet shutdown, with African election observers saying the crackdown created a climate of fear.
