Uganda Election Tensions: Army Denies Abduction Talk as Museveni Leads
Uganda Election Tensions: Army Denies Abduction Talk as Museveni Leads
Uganda's army denies abducting Bobi Wine as vote counting continues amid an internet blackout, with Museveni holding a wide lead.
Uganda’s presidential election unfolded with a tense calm on Saturday as counting continued and a sweeping internet blackout hampered rapid updates. The army vehemently denied a claim that opposition leader Bobi Wine had been abducted, saying the rumours were baseless and intended to provoke violence. Wine’s supporters reported limited contact due to the outage, and a resident near Wine’s Kampala home described a heavy security presence, with drones and helicopters heard overnight.
With more than 80% of ballots tallied, President Yoweri Museveni looked set to extend his 40-year rule, leading Bobi Wine by about 73.7% to 22.7% according to the Electoral Commission. Wine, a former pop star who has styled himself the 'ghetto president', has accused the government of ballot stuffing and of operating under the blackout to suppress opposition, a claim difficult to verify while communications remain unreliable. The U.N. rights office had earlier warned that the vote was taking place in a constrained environment, raising concerns about the space for civil liberties.
By nightfall, Kampala remained mostly quiet, but security remained tight and officials warned that final results would come later on Saturday. Wine’s party repeated its arrest-and-abduction claims, even as the army pressed its denial. The election has already seen reports of violence at opposition rallies, underscoring how fragile the process felt for many voters. The final results were due around 1300 GMT on Saturday, but observers and residents waited with a mix of curiosity and concern.
