Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has declared he will not pursue legal avenues to contest the results of last Thursday’s presidential election, citing a compromised judiciary. Instead, the 43-year-old former pop star, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is urging his supporters to engage in peaceful street protests to defend their democracy.
Speaking to the BBC from an undisclosed location while in hiding, Wine dismissed the official election results as ‘fake,’ alleging widespread ‘ballot stuffing’ without providing specific evidence. Official results gave President Yoweri Museveni a landslide victory with 72% of the vote, while Wine trailed with 25%.
The political tension has escalated significantly since the election. Wine claims he was forced to flee his home in a Kampala suburb during a security forces raid on Friday night, leaving behind his wife and relatives who he says are effectively under house arrest. He alleges security personnel have blocked food deliveries to his property and installed signal jammers preventing communication.
Uganda’s army leadership has intensified the confrontation. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is both the country’s army chief and President Museveni’s son, publicly threatened Wine on social media, giving him ‘exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the police’ or face treatment as ‘an outlaw/rebel.’
International observers from the African Union reported seeing ‘no evidence of ballot stuffing’ but condemned the days-long internet shutdown that persisted until hours after Museveni was declared winner on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Uganda Human Rights Commission acknowledged ‘technical and procedural’ challenges but maintained they didn’t undermine the overall fairness of the vote.
The human cost continues to mount. Wine alleges a ‘silent massacre’ of political activists, claiming more than 100 people have been killed in election violence, though he provided no evidence. Local media reports indicate over 100 youths have been remanded in prison on various election-related charges across Kampala.
This marks Wine’s second failed presidential challenge against Museveni, who first came to power in 1986 and has now won seven elections. Uganda has never witnessed a peaceful transfer of presidential power since gaining independence.