Kampala [Uganda], October 5 (ANI): Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was arrested at Entebbe International Airport near the capital, Kampala, on Thursday as he returned to the country, according to his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), CNN reported.
The NUP reported Wine’s arrest on social media, stating that he was “violently arrested upon his return to Uganda. We are yet to establish his whereabouts.”
Video footage released by the party showed several men grabbing Wine on the tarmac, with one of his associates repeatedly asking, “Where are you taking him?”
The Ugandan police have not commented on the arrest when CNN reached out for a response.
The police had previously issued a warning against a planned march by Wine’s supporters at the airport.
Wine, a former pop star turned politician, was the primary opposition candidate in the presidential elections held in January 2021. He lost to incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, who claimed victory for a sixth term amid allegations of fraud and intimidation. Wine disputed the election results, presenting evidence of irregularities.
Upon Wine’s return to Uganda, the NUP also reported that its headquarters was “under siege.” The party mentioned on social media that military helicopters were spotted hovering over Wine’s residence in Magere, Uganda, and that “security operatives have been deployed all around his perimeter fence.”
Wine has faced numerous arrests by Ugandan security forces, particularly in the lead-up to the country’s controversial elections.
In a social media post before his return, Wine shared a message: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for the Lord is with me — Psalms 23:4. I am coming home!”
The Uganda Police Force released a statement warning about a planned procession at Entebbe International Airport involving political activists associated with the NUP. The police encouraged the organisers to cancel the march to prevent traffic disruption and the risk of criminal activities. “We also advise members of the public who may have been mobilized, to refrain from participating in these illegal activities,” the police statement released Wednesday said.
“The Security Agencies will take all necessary measures to ensure that individuals involved in illegal activities are arrested and brought before the courts of law,” CNN reported. (ANI)
