Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has been arrested after arriving at the Entebbe International Airport as he arrived from abroad, his party officials have said.
Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has often had a stand-off with the government in recent years.
He is considered one of the strongest challengers to President Yoweri Museveni, 79, who has been in power in since 1986.
“The cowardly regime has arrested our President upon arrival at Entebbe Airport. We set out to receive him today, but the panicky regime security could not even allow him into immigration,” Mathias Mpuuga, leader of the National Unity Platform in the Ugandan parliament, said on his X account.
The cowardly regime has arrested our President upon arrival at Entebbe Airport.
We set out to receive him today, but the panicky regime security could not even allow him into immigration.
We follow up for his safety.#BobiWineReturns pic.twitter.com/GQWoZktOCW— Mathias Mpuuga (@MathiasMpuuga) October 5, 2023
Bobi Wine was later seen flanked Mathias Mpuuga at his home in Magere, Wakiso District moments after this morning’s incident.
UPDATE: A video grab showing @NUP_Ug principal, Robert Kyagulanyi, alias @HEBobiwine flanked by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mathias Mpuuga at his home in Magere, Wakiso District moments after he was picked by security operatives at Entebbe International Airport on… pic.twitter.com/Va05L4MW2L
— Daily Monitor (@DailyMonitor) October 5, 2023
His National Unity Party had been planning to hold rallies and ahead of his return, the police had said a planned procession from the airport was illegal.
Bobi Wine ran against Museveni in the last presidential election in 2021 but lost.
He rejected the results, saying there was widespread rigging and intimidation by security forces.
Source: Africafeeds.com
