Uganda’s dictator of 35 years Gen. Museveni. Photo: Twitter.
Uganda’s military dictator Gen. Yoweri Museveni has ordered the army to surround the homes of opposition leaders Bobi Wine, whom many believe won the January elections, and Dr. Kizza Besigye, a past candidate, ahead of his May 12 “swearing in.”
Gen. Museveni is widely believed to have been defeated decisively in the Jan. 14 Ugandan election by Bobi Wine, whose given name is Robert Kyagulanyi. The 39-year-old member of Parliament, buoyed by the youth vote, is believed to have swept the 76 year old dictator Gen. Museveni in most parts of the country. Museveni was declared the “winner” by an election “commission” hand-selected by the general himself. Bobi Wine rejected the outcome as a “joke” and on April 16 U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also dismissed the vote as “neither free, nor fair.”
The U.S. placed visa restrictions on Ugandan political and military officials whose names have not yet been released. Ugandan activists hope the visa ban includes Gen. Museveni himself and his son Gen. Muhoozi Kaenerugaba who heads the Special Forces Command responsible for kidnappings, torture and killings.
Museveni’s son, Gen. Kaenerugaba who commands the notorious SFC the parallel army carrying out crimes against humanity.
Dr. Besigye is widely believed to have defeated Gen. Museveni in previous elections including in 2016, 2011, and 2006.
An army spokesperson today confirmed that additionally hundreds of Ugandans belonging to the opposition have been arrested. The government claims they planned to disrupt Gen. Museveni’s “swearing in.” Bobi Wine and Dr. Besigye have been placed under house arrest to deter them from moving around and inciting violence, the regime says.
“With credible evidence from intelligence, we shall not hesitate to arrest more of these schemers when we detect them. All suspects picked up by other security agencies other than police shall be passed on to police to enable the due process of the law where it requires,” Col. Deo Akiiki, a spokesperson for the military said.
Both Bobi Wine and Dr. Besigye had earlier in the day announced through social media that the military had blockaded their homes. “The military and police have yet again surrounded my residence, as Gen. Museveni prepares to illegally swear himself in this Wednesday! The coward is fully aware that he’s illegitimate, and that’s why he’s very scared of the people. Hang in there, comrades. We shall overcome,” Kyagulanyi tweeted in the morning. Separately, in a tweet, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the party Dr. Besigye belongs to, tweeted: “We have been informed that military forces have surrounded Rt. col. Dr. @Kizzabesigye1’s home this afternoon.”
Gen. Museveni is so widely resented around the country that many analyst predict rocky days ahead for the regime.
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