By Emmanuel Nduka Emmanuel
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has said he remains under house arrest following Thursday’s presidential election, accusing the government of deploying the military around his residence out of fear rather than authority.
In a statement released on Friday, Wine said security forces moved in immediately after he cast his ballot, surrounding his home and restricting all movement in and out of the premises.
“Yesterday, after casting my ballot, the military deployed all around my home in order to place me under house arrest,” Wine said.
He alleged that soldiers breached his compound and continue to bar access to the residence.
“These criminals even jumped over the fence and entered our compound. My house is still besieged and no one is allowed to come in or go out,” he added.
Wine accused the government of targeting both himself and the Ugandan people, arguing that the actions of the security forces reflected fear following the election.
“This ain’t strength. They do this out of fear for the people they have offended by committing so many atrocities against them. They do this because they are afraid of the people’s reaction after stealing their vote,” he said.
The opposition leader’s claims come amid a tense post-election atmosphere in Uganda, with opposition figures repeatedly alleging intimidation and suppression by security agencies.
Preliminary results released by the Electoral Commission show President Yoweri Museveni holding a commanding lead in the presidential race. Figures announced on Friday afternoon put Museveni ahead with 75 per cent of the vote, based on returns from 60 per cent of polling stations.
Bobi Wine is trailing with 21 per cent of the votes counted so far. His party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), said security forces had surrounded his home in Kampala, “effectively placing him and his wife under house arrest.”
Meanwhile, violence was reported overnight in parts of the country. At least seven opposition supporters were killed in clashes with police in Butambala district, about 55 kilometres south-west of Kampala.
If confirmed winner, Museveni, 81, would secure another term in office, extending his four-decade rule over Uganda. The election has been widely viewed as consequential, with Museveni signalling it could be his final contest, a development that has intensified succession politics within the ruling National Resistance Movement.
An opinion poll conducted by the Development Watch Centre between November 19 and December 16 projected a clear lead for Museveni. The poll placed him at 60.94 per cent national support, compared to Bobi Wine’s 35.26 per cent.
The survey interviewed 3,758 respondents across 42 districts in 12 sub-regions and showed Museveni leading in 11 of the 12 regions sampled.
