Opposition candidate kidnapped by army in Uganda days after presidential election

The regime has been besieging the house of the 43-year-old former pop singer since Thursday evening. Shortly before Wine was taken away, his party said the power supply was cut and his guards were attacked when soldiers forcibly entered the home.

The preliminary results of the election should show that incumbent President Yoweri Museveni – in power since 1986 – can start a seventh term. With the votes from about four out of five polling stations counted, the 81-year-old Museveni would receive 73.7 percent of the votes, compared to 22.7 percent for Wine, according to the electoral commission. The final results are expected Saturday afternoon.

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Wine accused the regime on Thursday of “massive vote fraud” and called on the population to ignore the false results. An NUP MP said the army killed ten of Wine’s supporters at his home.

In recent years, the Ugandan regime de facto silenced opposition parties and civil society, and the repression was further intensified during the campaign. Wine was also imprisoned and tortured in the aftermath of the 2021 presidential election, where he won a third of the vote according to official results.

The internet has been blocked in the East African country since Tuesday evening.