By Hassan Wekesa - Editor
Uganda, 17 January 2026 - Main opposition leader in the 2026 Uganda presidential race, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, said on Saturday that he had managed to sneak out of his compound after the military besieged his home at least since the night the elections were held.
Ugandans went to polls on Thursday, 15 January 2026.
“Last night [Friday] was very difficult at our home in Magere. The military and police raided us. They switched off power and cut off some of our CCTV cameras. There were helicopters hovering over,” Bobi Wine, who is the leader of National Unity Platform (NUP) said in a post on the social media platform X.
He confirmed that he had managed to escape from them.
“Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest.”
Referring to the military as “criminals”, he claimed they are looking for him everywhere, and as such “I am trying my best to keep safe.”
He said he understands that there has been great concern and speculation regarding his whereabouts and urged understanding in the context of a nationwide internet shutdown.
“Given the commotion that happened at our house at night, and given that no one is allowed to access the house, our neighbours concluded that they had succeeded in abducting us and spread the news,” he explained.
On election tallies currently putting incumbent President Yoweri Museveni ahead with over 70%, he rejected them totally.
“I reiterate our complete rejection of the fake results [Simon] Byabakama is reading. In addition to the ballot stuffing, the military take-over of the election, the detention of our leaders and polling officials, and other electoral offences, their results have zero backing!” he said.
Justice Byabakama is Uganda's Electoral Commission (EC) Chairman.
Bobi Wine also condemned the circumstances that led to the deaths of numerous citizens who he said “attempted to peacefully demonstrate against the broad daylight thuggery”.
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At least 12 people were reported to have been killed.
“The people of Uganda have the right to protest in defence of their sovereign right to determine a government of their choice – not the kind of criminality we’re witnessing.”
He claimed that, apart from presidential election malpractices, the authorities had resorted to fraudulent techniques to usurp the will of the people in numerous constituencies across the country.
“NUP candidates are being targeted – even when they have 100% evidence that they won. This is absolute madness. The People of Uganda will ultimately win,” Bobi Wine said.
On Saturday morning, police said Bobi Wine was at his home in Magere, Wakiso District, and denied reports of effective house arrest.
However, the NUP party leader’s visitors are restricted.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told journalists in Kampala that Bobi Wine's movements are restricted because his home is an “area of security interest” and that the military had besieged his compound to bar youths from gaining access to the compound.
“We have controlled access to areas which are security hotspots. We cannot allow people to use some places to gather and cause chaos. All our actions are intended to prevent anybody from creating violence or destabilising our security,” ACP Rusoke said.
On Thursday night, NUP had posted on the social media platform X that its presidential candidate had been taken by the army from his house and taken to an unknown location.
On Friday, as President Yoweri Museveni closed in on a landslide re-election, NUP said in a post on X that an army helicopter had landed in his compound in the capital Kampala and “forcibly taken him away to an unknown destination.”
