Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said he escaped a late-night raid at his home as President Yoweri Museveni closed in on re-election. He said soldiers and police stormed his compound, cut electricity, disabled cameras, and created a scene he described as dark and frightening.
In a post on X, Wine said he managed to flee and was no longer at home. Wine said his wife and other family members were under house arrest, though his whereabouts remained undisclosed.
Police earlier denied he had been arrested, saying he was at home and not in custody. Wine, a former pop star whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, alleged mass fraud in Thursday’s election and urged supporters to protest.
The vote unfolded under a widespread internet blackout, adding to tensions that have gripped the country for weeks. Nearly final results showed Museveni, 81, leading with about 72 percent of votes, while Wine trailed on roughly 24 percent.
Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986, and the election was widely seen as a test of his enduring grip on power. After a campaign marred by clashes and repression, voting day itself passed mostly peacefully, according to observers.
But violence erupted early Friday in Butambala, southwest of Kampala, with police and a local lawmaker offering sharply different accounts. Police said seven people were killed after an attack on a station, while the lawmaker called it a massacre by security forces. The uncertainty hanging over Kampala felt like heavy air before rain, charged with fear, anger, and unanswered questions.