Uganda opposition leader Wine arrested says party but police deny
Pictures posted on local media later showed Wine at his home north of the capital Kampala, but it was not clear if he was under house arrest or able to leave.
KAMPALA - Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine was seized by security officials Thursday on his return from a trip abroad, a top party official said, but police denied he had been arrested and said he was "escorted" home.
"Our President (Bobi Wine) picked up by regime operatives as soon as he landed at the airport," David Lewis Rubongoya, the general secretary of Wine's National Unity Platform (NUP) said on X, formerly Twitter.
"They are so afraid of the people because they know people don't like them."
The post was accompanied by a photo appearing to show two men grabbing the prominent critic of President Yoweri Museveni by the arms on the tarmac at Entebbe International Airport.
Pictures posted on local media later showed Wine at his home north of the capital Kampala, but it was not clear if he was under house arrest or able to leave.
The popstar turned politician, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has faced numerous arrests and alleged human rights abuses in the past.
"We wish to inform the public that the NUP president, Hon. Kyagulanyi Robert was successfully escorted by our security team from Entebbe to his home in Magere," the Uganda Police Force said on X.
"He reached his home around 11.20am, and is with his family and friends. Disregard rumours of his arrest by propagandists."
Wine's supporters had planned to accompany him en masse to his home, but police had said such a gathering was illegal.
Last month, Ugandan police announced they were banning rallies being organised by the National Unity Platform across the country because of public order issues.
Wine made a failed bid for the presidency in 2021 in a tense election against Museveni, who has ruled over Uganda with an iron fist since 1986.
The election campaign was marked by a crackdown on the opposition and at least 54 people were killed during anti-government demonstrations.
TIGHT SECURITY
Wine flew in from South Africa via the Rwandan capital Kigali after a tour to promote a documentary about him by National Geographic TV entitled "Bobi Wine: The People's President."
His return was eagerly anticipated by his supporters, many of whom view him as a symbol of change in a country ruled for so long by one man.
Ugandan soldiers and other security forces had been deployed on roads leading to Entebbe airport since early Thursday morning, as well as outside NUP offices and in Kampala's central business district.
Police had warned organisers not to go ahead with the planned procession and for people not to join the gathering, with police spokesman Patrick Onyango describing it as an "illegality".
Ugandan authorities have a long history of using so-called "preventative arrest" to detain opposition leaders, often holding them for several hours before returning them to their homes so as to stymie mass demonstrations.
Once hailed for his commitment to good governance, former rebel leader Museveni has crushed any opposition and tweaked the constitution to allow himself to run again and again.
The next presidential ballot is due in 2026. Museveni, 79, has yet to say if he will stand.
