Ugandan Opposition Leader Bobi Wine Claims Escape from Post-Election Raid

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine (Robert Kyagulanyi) has claimed he escaped a raid by police and military forces at his home in Magere, Kampala, following disputed presidential election results.

Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) had earlier alleged he was forcibly taken by helicopter to an unknown location, a claim denied by national police. In a post on X, Wine described the raid as occurring late Friday, with power cut and CCTV cameras disabled. “Last night was very difficult at our home … The military and the police raided us,” he wrote, adding that his wife and family remained under house arrest. Reuters could not immediately verify the claim, though sources close to Wine indicated he was still at large within Uganda.

Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told reporters Saturday that Wine was at home and “not under arrest.” The conflicting accounts emerged as vote counting continued, with incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, 81, holding a commanding lead of nearly 72% with over 90% of polling stations reported. Wine trailed with about 24%.

Wine has alleged widespread fraud in Thursday’s election, conducted under a nationwide internet blackout, and urged supporters to protest. International observers and the United Nations have previously highlighted repression and intimidation during the campaign.

Violence erupted Friday in Butambala district, southwest of Kampala. Police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe reported seven deaths, three injuries, and 25 arrests after machete-wielding opposition supporters allegedly attacked a police station and vote-tallying center, prompting officers to fire in self-defense. Local MP Muwanga Kivumbi (NUP) countered that security forces killed 10 people at his home around 3 a.m., describing the incident as a “massacre.” Reuters could not independently confirm the circumstances.

The election outcome is widely seen as extending Museveni’s four-decade rule, amid ongoing tensions over transparency and opposition treatment.