Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine recently faced a situation when he returned to Uganda from abroad.
He claims that he was taken into custody by a group of people he refers to as “goons” and put under house arrest.
Bobi Wine is a former singer who turned to politics and is considered the strongest challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for almost 40 years.
Bobi Wine has had a history of being arrested several times and facing various charges, including treason.
However, the police in Uganda denied his arrest and instead stated that they accompanied him home.
In the 2021 presidential election, Bobi Wine ran against President Museveni but did not succeed.
The election campaign was tense, with a crackdown on opposition members, leading to the deaths of at least 54 people during anti-government protests.
Bobi Wine described the events upon his arrival at Entebbe International Airport, saying, “goons grabbed me and dragged me, twisted my hands and bundled me into a waiting private car.”
He later confirmed that he was under house arrest.
A video shared by Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) on social media showed him being led away after getting off a plane in Entebbe.
One of his associates inquired about his whereabouts, expressing concern.
Mathias Mpuuga, the leader of NUP in parliament, expressed his frustration, stating, “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”
Bobi Wine’s return was eagerly anticipated by his supporters, many of whom see him as a symbol of change in a country that has been ruled by one man for decades.
However, last month, the police announced a ban on rallies organized by NUP due to concerns about public order.
Security forces, including Ugandan soldiers, were deployed on the roads leading to Entebbe airport, outside the NUP offices, and in Kampala’s central business district.
The police had warned against proceeding with planned gatherings, calling them illegal.
According to police spokesman Patrick Onyango, security agencies accompanied Bobi Wine to his residence in Magere, Kasangati.
Ugandan authorities have a history of using “preventative arrest” to detain opposition leaders temporarily and then returning them to their homes to prevent mass protests.
