Uganda is counting votes after a disputed presidential election in which incumbent Yoweri Museveni leads substantially with nearly 60% of ballots counted. Opposition leader Bobi Wine is reported under house arrest, and an NUP MP alleges security forces killed 10 people at his home — a claim denied by police, who say 25 people were arrested for planning attacks. The vote occurred under an internet blackout and amid biometric failures and delayed ballots; the UN warned of "widespread repression and intimidation." Final results were due at 02:00 GMT on Saturday.
Uganda Counts Votes Amid Allegations Of Killings And House Arrest Of Opposition Leader Bobi Wine
Uganda voted under heavy security presence (BADRU KATUMBA)(BADRU KATUMBA/AFP/AFP)
Uganda is tallying votes after a tense presidential election marked by allegations of violence, an internet blackout and technical problems at polling stations. With nearly 60% of ballots counted, the Uganda Electoral Commission reported President Yoweri Museveni leading with 75.4% to opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi (known as Bobi Wine) on 20.7%. Final results were scheduled for 02:00 GMT on Saturday.
Opposition Leader Reported Under House Arrest. The National Unity Platform (NUP) said on X that "the military and police have surrounded the residence of President Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, effectively placing him and his wife under house arrest." AFP reporters at the compound described an outwardly calm scene but noted a military vehicle and several police officers stationed outside.
Allegations Of Killings And Conflicting Accounts. NUP MP Muwanga Kivumbi told AFP by phone that security forces stormed his home in Butambala after polling, where hundreds of supporters had gathered, and that "ten were killed inside my house." His wife, Zahara Nampewo, a law professor, said the victims were campaign agents who hid in a garage and that security forces fired through the door. The couple said bodies were later confirmed at a local hospital.
Local police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe offered a different account, accusing "a group of NUP goons" of planning to overrun and burn a tally centre and a police station. She said an "unspecified number were put out of action" and that 25 people had been arrested and charged with malicious damage to property. AFP said it could not independently verify the conflicting claims.
"After killing them, the military continued firing. And they ensured that they removed all the evidence of the dead. You only have a pool of blood that is left here," MP Muwanga Kivumbi told AFP.
Election-Day Problems And Security Presence. Voting was affected by technical failures: biometric voter machines malfunctioned and ballot papers were undelivered or delayed in several areas. Authorities imposed an internet blackout during the election that remained in force, and security forces were visibly deployed across the country.
International Concern. The UN human rights office said the vote took place in an environment marked by "widespread repression and intimidation" of the opposition. Bobi Wine has alleged "massive ballot stuffing" and attacks on his party officials under cover of the blackout; those claims have not been independently verified by AFP.
Background. Museveni, 81, a former guerrilla who came to power in 1986, is seeking to extend a four-decade rule and has regularly been accused of suppressing political opponents. Wine, 43, a former musician who styles himself the "ghetto president," emerged in recent years as his most prominent challenger and has a strong youth following.
The situation remains fluid as final results are awaited and international observers call for transparency and independent verification of reported incidents.
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