Uganda Opposition Leader 'Under House Arrest' After Return

Facts

• Uganda’s main opposition leader, Bobi Wine, was detained at the Entebbe International Airport on Thursday upon his return to the country from a tour of several countries, including South Africa, according to his National Unity Platform (NUP) Party.¹
• Wine reported that he was dragged by 'goons'  before going through immigration and put under house arrest. Police, however, claimed that the 41-year-old was merely escorted to his residence in Magere, Kasangati.²
• Security forces argued that this was done to prevent a planned NUP march outside the airport amid concerns that the procession could snarl traffic and attract criminal activities. Authorities had previously urged organizers to cancel the demonstration.³
• The opposition figure later stated that he was surrounded by the military, with no one being allowed to leave or enter his residence, and that security forces had beaten the gatekeeper and gardener at his home as well as fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse his supporters.⁴
• Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is a singer-turned-politician who has emerged as the strongest challenger to President Yoweri Museveni. He finished runner-up to Museveni in 2021 in a vote allegedly marred by fraud.⁵
• Ugandan authorities have long resorted to so-called preventive arrests to detain opposition leaders so as to thwart demonstrations. NUP rallies have been banned nationwide since last month allegedly due to public order concerns.¹

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²BBC News, ³CNN, ⁴New York Times and ⁵Reuters.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by France 24. Ugandan authorities have repeatedly harassed and intimidated opposition leaders. The abduction and violent arrest of the main opposition leader, Bobi Wine, is an example of how President Museveni's security forces violated citizens' rights to freedom of expression and assembly. The Ugandan government must be held accountable for its human rights abuses.
• Narrative B, as provided by Independent. Despite propagandists spreading rumors of his arrest, Bobi Wine was, in fact, safely escorted to his home as NUP activists had planned to wait for him on the roads from the airport. Police took this decisive action so as to ensure that business activities and movements along the highway linking Entebbe to Kampala wouldn't be disturbed.