Bobi Wine: home under siege by Uganda soldiers

By Abankula

Uganda opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine said his home is under siege by soldiers.

“The military has jumped over the fence and has now taken control of our home,” Mr. Wine said on his official Twitter account.

“ None of these military intruders is talking to us. We are in serious trouble.”

A Ugandan police spokesman confirmed the siege and said it was done to prevent Bobi Wine from inciting violence.

Lt Col Deo Akiiki, Uganda’s deputy military spokesperson, gave a different reason for the siege.

He said soldiers were at Wine’s house to protect him.

“As presidential candidate, do you want his security to be compromised? It’s not a deployment to arrest him. It’s a deployment to keep his security like any other presidential candidate has. It’s a simple as that.”

The invasion occurred as vote counting continued in the 14 January election.

Uganda’s long serving leader Yoweri Museveni is facing a big challenge from 38 year-old musician turned politician, Bobi Wine, full name Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.

With a third of the votes counted on Friday, Museveni had more than 65% of the tallied ballots and was ahead of Wine in almost every region. Wine, one of 10 opposition challengers, had gained about a quarter of the vote, according to Uganda’s electoral body.

Bobi Wine and his party countered that the figures were fraudulent. He also said he was confident of victory.

“I am very confident that we defeated the dictator by far,” he said.

Wine, who has galvanised a mass movement of young people challenging the president’s 34-year rule, said at a press conference on Friday morning that Ugandans should reject the results.

“I am very confident that we defeated the dictator by far,” he said.

“The people of Uganda voted massively for change of leadership from a dictatorship to a democratic government. But Mr Museveni is trying to paint a picture that he is in the lead.”

Final results are expected to be announced today. A candidate must win more than 50% to avoid a runoff vote.