KAMPALA, Uganda — A Ugandan lawmaker closely associated with opposition leader Bobi Wine was taken into custody as part of an investigation into violent incidents linked to last week’s elections. Muwanga Kivumbi, who serves as a deputy leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), faces accusations of orchestrating attacks on a police station and a vote-counting center following the electoral defeat, claims the party vehemently rejects.
Authorities report that seven people died during the unrest, yet Kivumbi disputes this, stating that up to 10 individuals were killed at his residence while awaiting parliamentary election results. The police announced on social media that Kivumbi would soon face charges in court, underscoring his arrest as part of a broader crackdown on political violence.
The tension has escalated in the wake of last week’s elections, where President Yoweri Museveni secured a seventh consecutive term. During his post-election address, Museveni warned opposition leaders like Kivumbi of impending orchestrated attacks on polling sites. According to the president, police shot dead seven individuals as groups of alleged opposition supporters armed with machetes attempted violence in Butambala district, located near Kampala.
Bobi Wine, Museveni’s leading rival, has gone into hiding after a raid on his home following the election results, which he has branded as fraudulent. He has spoken out against what he describes as a “silent massacre” and a targeted assault on political dissidents. In a recent social media post, he claimed that over 100 people had died in connection with election-related violence, although he did not provide supporting evidence for these assertions.
Meanwhile, Uganda’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also Museveni’s son and potential successor, has publicly stated that security forces killed 22 opposition supporters amid the unrest during the polls. These claims have further added to the tense climate, as the authorities reportedly detained dozens of young people in connection with election-related offenses in the capital.
Museveni has held power since 1986, when he first came to prominence as a rebel leader. His upcoming term will extend his rule to 45 years, highlighting the absence of a peaceful transition of power in Uganda since its independence. As political tensions rise, many citizens are left wondering what the future holds for the nation’s democracy.