Ugandan military put Bobi Wine under house arrest before president’s inauguration

Arthur Greene

On Monday evening, Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine tweeted that the military had confined him to his home, as the nation prepares to inaugurate President Yoweri Museveni on 12 May.

Wine, who was the runner-up to Museveni, 76, in the presidential elections on 14 January, tweeted four pictures of heavily-armed soldiers posted around the edge of his property, alongside this message:

“The situation around my home is still tense. Dozens of soldiers are surrounding my home, checking every vehicle that comes in or goes out. All this to suppress the citizens’ voices as the emperor crowns himself for a 6th term! In this I am confident- WE SHALL OVERCOME.”

This is not the first time Wine has been detained by Museveni’s forces. Following the election, which many international onlookers said was rigged, he and his family were placed under house arrest.

Museveni’s inauguration will be his sixth; he has won the country’s six previous presidential elections and has been in power for over 35 years.

Following the election, he rejected claims of fraud, proclaiming it “the most cheating-free election” in the country’s history.

However, videos which surfaced on social media at the time appeared to show an increased military presence across the country.

Also, just ahead of voting day the government shutdown the internet, a move condemned by election monitors.

Since the election, Wine’s stature and reputation as a politician has grown both home and abroad, as his party, The National Unity Platform, continues to play a key role in Ugandan politics.

Image source: @HEBobiWine

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