*President’s Son Is Head Of Military, Boasts Of Killings
*Wants To Succeed Father Who Has Already Spent 40 Years In Office
Uganda’s opposition leader Bobi Wine said today that his wife had been taken to hospital after soldiers invaded their residence, partially undressed and choked her.
Wine, a pop star-turned-politician, was not at the property and is in hiding after he escaped a previous raid on his home last week hours before he was announced as the runner-up in the January 15 presidential election.
Overnight into Saturday, soldiers forcefully entered the opposition leader’s home in the Magere suburb in Kampala’s north, breaking down doors and beating up staff, Wine said in a post on X.
Ugandan military spokesperson Chris Magezi could not immediately be reached for comment, Reuters said.
Four-decade incumbent ruler Yoweri Museveni, 81, was declared winner of the vote with 71.6% against Wine’s 24%. Wine rejected the results, alleging extensive fraud including ballot stuffing.
During the raid on the residence, Wine said, the soldiers held his wife Barbara Kyagulanyi at gunpoint, asking her to reveal his whereabouts.
“They grabbed my wife’s phone, forced her to sit down, and ordered her to remove her password. She refused. They strangled her and insulted her,” Wine said.
“They forcefully removed her blouse and took pictures… my wife was rushed to hospital where she remains admitted.”
Wine alleges that money, documents and other electronic gadgets were also taken during the raid.
Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also Museveni’s son, has demanded that Wine surrender to police or he would be treated as a rebel, and has also issued death threats to him.
On Friday Kainerugaba also said authorities had killed 30 supporters of Wine’s party National Unity Platform (NUP) and detained 2,000 others. Wine has not been accused of any crime.
On Thursday U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the arrests and violence involving opposition figures and supporters.
Rights groups and opposition critics have long accused Museveni of using the military to maintain his grip on power.
Ruling party officials deny the accusations, and say Museveni’s long rule is due to popular support among voters.
Museveni’s Fiery Son Tightens Grip On Uganda’s Future
As Museveni starts a seventh term in office, his tough-talking son and head of the military, Kainerugaba, is favourite to succeed him after consolidating his power base and sidelining critics.
Kainerugaba, best-known to many Ugandans for his fiery social media posts, helped his father to election victory last week by ordering a crackdown on opponents and cutting the internet, said sources familiar with the matter.
Having repeatedly threatened to kill opposition leader Wine, who said the vote was rigged and is in hiding, Kainerugaba boasted on Friday that 30 “terrorists” from Wine’s party had been killed and 2,000 “hooligans” arrested.
In the run-up to the vote, security forces disrupted opposition rallies, detaining supporters and sometimes opening fire.
Adding to accounts from a business source and a security official, Andrew Mwenda, a close adviser to Kainerugaba, told Reuters he had played a critical role in the four-day internet blackout, saying it was to prevent any sabotage.
Kainerugaba personally mobilised the police and army to target “roughnecks and ruffians” supporting the opposition National Unity Platform Party led by Wine, Mwenda added.
“He’s number one in security in this country,” Mwenda said.
Kainerugaba could not be reached and spokespersons for the government, military and presidency did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the internet blackout, crackdown or succession plans.
‘ Tired Of Waiting’ For Power
Kainerugaba, who attended Britain’s prestigious Sandhurst military academy and is an admirer of Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro, first announced in 2023 that he wanted to be President after his father, saying he was “tired of waiting forever.”
Since then, he has sidelined critics within the ruling party and military, retiring rival officers and boosting pay to secure soldiers’ loyalty.
Museveni has never commented in public about who will succeed him, beyond saying his party will make the decision.
Though Kainerugaba’s presidential ambitions have previously sparked concern in Museveni’s inner circle, his role in securing the election victory has strengthened his position, a security official and business source said.
A handover from father to son would not be without risks of a backlash in the East African country, which has a $65 billion economy and enjoyed decades of stability under Museveni.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Wine and his wife, Barbara.
