Saturday, January 17, 2026 - Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine was placed under house arrest on Friday, January 16, a day after elections in which early results showed President Yoweri Museveni with a commanding lead as he seeks to extend his 40-year rule
Museveni, who has governed Uganda since 1986, has been
accused of “brutal repression” against the opposition in the lead-up to the
vote. His government imposed an internet blackout this week.
With roughly a quarter of votes counted, the Electoral
Commission said Museveni stood on 76.25 percent, compared to Wine’s 19.85
percent.
Election day on Thursday, January 15, was marked by major
technical disruptions, with biometric voter verification devices malfunctioning
and ballot papers arriving late in multiple areas, delaying the start of voting
for hours. Final presidential and parliamentary results are expected by 0200
GMT on Saturday, January 17.
Analysts have long viewed the election as a foregone
conclusion, pointing to Museveni’s control over the state and security
apparatus and his history of crushing challengers over four decades. Wine,
whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has in recent years emerged as his
strongest opponent. The 43-year-old former singer calls himself the “ghetto
president” in reference to the Kampala slums where he grew up.
“The military and police have surrounded the residence of
President Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, effectively placing him and his wife
under house arrest,” his party, the National Unity Platform, wrote on X late
Thursday. “Security officers have unlawfully jumped over the perimeter fence
and are now erecting tents within his compound,” the party added.
AFP journalists who visited the compound on Friday, January
15, said the scene was outwardly calm, though a military vehicle and several
police officers stood outside. Heavy security deployments were reported
elsewhere across the country on election day.
The UN rights office said last week that the election was
unfolding in an environment marked by “widespread repression and intimidation”
targeting opposition figures. On Thursday, Wine accused the government of
“massive ballot stuffing” and attacks on several of his party officials under
cover of the internet blackout-imposed Tuesday. AFP said his claims could not
be independently verified.
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