The National Unity Platform announced that the opposition presidential candidate had been seized from his home a day after a tense election.
Published January 16, 2026
Bobi Wine’s political party says the Ugandan opposition presidential candidate was “forcibly” removed from his home and taken by military helicopter to an “unknown destination.”
The National Unity Platform made the announcement in a social media post on Friday, a day after Ugandans voted in a tense election held amid an internet blackout.
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There was no immediate comment from Ugandan authorities.
Mr Wine, the opposition leader, challenged long-time president Yoweri Museveni in the election, which the United Nations claimed had been marred by “widespread repression and intimidation”.
Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi, reporting from Uganda’s capital Kampala early Saturday morning, said the internet blackout was making it difficult to obtain information about Wine’s whereabouts.
Soi said officials contacted by Al Jazeera could only confirm that “men, believed to be military personnel or other security personnel, had jumped the fence” at Wine’s home.
But officials could not say whether Wine was at the home or whether he had been taken.
Soi added that Al Jazeera has not been able to confirm what happened to the Ugandan military or police.
He noted that shortly after Thursday’s vote, Wine posted on social media claiming that “massive ballot stuffing” was being reported across the country.
He also called on Ugandans to “stand up to the situation and reject the criminal regime.”
Mr Wine’s comments came as Museveni’s government is accused of leading a years-long crackdown on opposition politicians and their supporters.
The 81-year-old president is seeking to extend his nearly 40-year reign and said ahead of this week’s election that he expected to win 80% support.
Mr Museveni had a comfortable lead in Friday’s vote count, with the electoral commission announcing that nearly 81% of the votes were counted, securing support of 73.7% for Mr Museveni and 22.7% for Mr Wine.
The final results were expected to be announced around 4pm Kampala local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday.
The vote passed peacefully on Thursday after the campaign was marred by clashes at opposition rallies and arrests of opposition supporters.
But violence erupted overnight in the town of Butambara, about 55 kilometers southwest of the capital Kampala, leaving at least seven people dead.
Local police spokeswoman Lydia Tumusabe said machete-wielding opposition “thugs” organized by local lawmaker Mwanga Kivumbi attacked police stations and vote counting centres.
Kivumbi, a member of Mr Wine’s party, said security forces attacked opposition supporters who had gathered at his home to await election results. Opposition lawmakers said 10 people were killed.
“After killing them, the army continued firing,” Kivumbi told AFP news agency. “And they made sure to remove all evidence of the dead. All that’s left here is a pool of blood.”
