Uganda has been plunged into violent chaos following its presidential election, with at least seven people reported dead and the country's main opposition leader allegedly seized by the military.
Opposition Leader Seized Amid Claims of Fraud
The National Union Party stated on Friday evening that their leader, the singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, was taken by the army from his home in Kampala and transported to an unknown location. The party made the unverified claim on social media platform X that an army helicopter landed in his compound and "forcibly taken him away".
This dramatic development came as long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, 81, closed in on a landslide re-election victory. The electoral commission reported that by Friday evening, Museveni—in power since 1986—held a commanding lead with nearly 74 per cent of the vote, while Wine trailed with 23 per cent.
Wine had alleged mass fraud during Thursday's poll, which was conducted under a nationwide internet blackout, and called on his supporters to protest. His party had previously claimed he was under effective house arrest on Thursday.
Deadly Violence Erupts in Butambala
While voting day itself passed relatively peacefully after a campaign marred by clashes and what the United Nations called widespread repression, violence broke out overnight in the town of Butambala, approximately 35 miles southwest of the capital.
Accounts of the deadly incident differ starkly between police and a local opposition MP. Police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe stated that machete-wielding opposition "goons," organised by MP Muwanga Kivumbi, attacked a police station and a vote-tallying centre. "Security responded in self-defence because these people came in big numbers. Police fired in self-defence," she told Reuters, adding that 25 people were arrested.
However, MP Kivumbi gave a chillingly different version of events. He told Reuters the victims were killed at around 3 a.m. inside his own house, where they were waiting for results of his parliamentary seat to be announced. "They killed 10 people inside my house," he said. "There were people inside the garage who were waiting for the results to celebrate my victory. They broke the front door and began shooting inside the garage. It was a massacre."
Tumushabe said she was unaware of any incident at Kivumbi's house, which she noted was near the police station. Reuters could not independently confirm the circumstances.
A Test of Stability in a Volatile Region
The election had been widely viewed as a critical test of President Museveni's political strength and his government's ability to maintain stability, avoiding the kind of unrest that has recently rocked neighbouring Tanzania and Kenya.
As the situation remains fluid, confusion surrounds the status of Bobi Wine. Some senior officials within his party said they could not confirm his capture, while spokespeople for Uganda's government and military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In the capital Kampala, security forces patrolled the streets following the announcement of preliminary results, with reports of protests and smoke rising from some areas. The nation now waits to see if the reported detention of the main opposition figure will quell dissent or ignite further widespread unrest.
