Photos: Milton Allimadi\YouTube Screenshots\Wikimedia Commons
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has said he was “grabbed” by “goons” and put under house arrest on his return from South Africa.
The singer-turned-politician is the strongest challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, who has held office for almost 40 years.
The 41-year-old has been arrested numerous times and has faced several charges, including treason.
Police denied arresting Bobi Wine, saying he was merely “escorted” home.
“Disregard rumours of his arrest by propagandists,” the police said in a statement.
Bobi Wine, a former pop star whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, made a failed bid for the presidency in 2021 in a tense election against President Museveni, 79.
The election campaign was marked by a crackdown on the opposition and at least 54 people were killed during anti-government demonstrations.
Bobi Wine arrived on Thursday, via the Rwandan capital, Kigali, following a series of international engagements.
His supporters had planned to welcome him at Entebbe International Airport and accompany him to his home about 50 km (30 miles) away in a huge march, but the police said this was illegal.
Bobi Wine said that as soon as he landed, even before he had gone through immigration, “goons grabbed me and dragged me, twisted my hands and bundled me into a waiting private car”.
He later said from his home that he was under house arrest.
A video posted by his National Unity Platform (NUP) on X, formerly Twitter, showed the leader being led away after disembarking from a plane in Entebbe. One of his associates was heard on the video saying “Where are you taking him?”
“The cowardly regime has arrested our president upon arrival at Entebbe Airport. We set out to receive him today, but the panicky regime security could not even allow him into immigration,” said Mathias Mpuuga, the NUP leader in parliament.
Editor’s Note: Bobi Wine was placed under house arrest after his return from international travel–where he had been spreading the word about the murderous dictatorial regime of Museveni–which included a stop in New York. During Wine’s stop in New York, he attended a meeting (at the office of Congressman Gregory Meeks) where the call was made for congressional hearings on Uganda to address the human rights situation. The photo below (with Wine in middle) was captured from that meeting. Wine was joined by Dr. Ron Daniels, Dr. Daniel Kawuma and Black Star News publisher Milton Allimadi.
