Uganda's military denies that opposition leader Bobi Wine was abducted from his home, despite claims from Wine and his party that he was taken by an army helicopter amid an internet blackout. Communications outages hindered verification by AFP and Al Jazeera. The Electoral Commission reported President Yoweri Museveni leading 73.7% to Wine's 22.7% with about 81% of votes counted, and final results were scheduled for Saturday.
Uganda Military Denies Bobi Wine Abduction as Vote Count Continues Amid Internet Blackout
Ugandan opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine arrives with his wife to cast their votes at a polling station in Kampala, on January 15, 2026 [Brian Inganga/AP Photo]
Uganda's military has denied claims that opposition leader Bobi Wine was seized from his home, amid ongoing vote counting in an election overshadowed by violence and a nationwide internet blackout.
Wine said on Friday that security forces had placed him under house arrest. His party, the National Unity Platform, later posted on X that he had been "forcibly taken" from his residence by an army helicopter and flown to an unknown location.
But the military rejected those assertions. "The rumours of his so-called arrest are baseless and unfounded," army spokesperson Chris Magezi told AFP on Saturday, adding that such claims were "designed to incite his supporters into acts of violence."
Chris Magezi, Army Spokesperson: "The rumours of his so-called arrest are baseless and unfounded. They are designed to incite his supporters into acts of violence."
News agencies reported that communications disruptions and the internet shutdown made independent verification difficult. An AFP dispatch described calm outside Wine's home early on Saturday, but reporters and local party officials were unable to confirm his whereabouts. Al Jazeera said a party official had told them "men who appeared to be military and other security agents jumped over the fence" of Wine's residence but could not confirm whether Wine remained inside or had been taken away.
Election Context
Bobi Wine, a prominent pop star-turned-politician, challenged incumbent President Yoweri Museveni in a campaign the United Nations said was marked by "widespread repression and intimidation." Museveni, 81, is seeking to extend his nearly four decades in power and had said before the vote that he expected roughly 80% support.
As counting continued on Friday, the Electoral Commission reported Museveni leading with 73.7% of the vote to Wine's 22.7%, based on close to 81% of ballots counted. Final results were scheduled to be announced around 4pm local time in Kampala (13:00 GMT) on Saturday.
Violence And Conflicting Accounts
Although voting was reported to have proceeded peacefully in many areas, violence erupted elsewhere. At least seven people were reported killed overnight in the town of Butambala, about 55 km southwest of Kampala. Police attributed the attack to machete-wielding opposition assailants they described as "goons" organised by local MP Muwanga Kivumbi. Kivumbi, who is aligned with Wine's party, offered a sharply different account, saying security forces opened fire on supporters gathered at his home and that 10 people were killed.
Attempts by international outlets to reach the Ugandan military and police for independent confirmation of events were unsuccessful as communications remained limited.
With social media and the internet restricted, many details remain unclear. Observers say the lack of information, competing narratives, and reports of repression have heightened tensions across the country as the final results approach.
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