In the aftermath of a presidential election marred by serious violence in Uganda, the main opposition leader, Bobi Wine, was forcibly abducted from his home by the army, according to his party. As incumbent President Yoweri Museveni heads towards a seventh term, the opposition denounces a bloody crackdown that has left dozens dead.

Bobi Wine arrives with his wife, Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi, at a polling station at the Freedom Square police station, to cheers from his supporters, during the Ugandan general elections of January 15, 2026, in the village of Magere, Wakiso district, Kampala, Uganda.

Ugandan opposition leader and presidential candidate Bobi Wine was forcibly removed from his home by an army helicopter, his party announced Friday evening, January 16, the day after elections marred by violence.

"An army helicopter landed" at Bobi Wine's residence "and forcibly took him to an unknown destination," his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), told X on Friday evening. Mr. Wine's bodyguards were "violently assaulted" during the incident, the NUP added.

At least 10 people died on Thursday during the presidential and parliamentary elections, which were marred by violence, according to the opposition. Many observers see the presidential election as a formality for Yoweri Museveni, the 81-year-old former guerrilla leader, who is seeking a seventh consecutive term, relying on his total control of the electoral and security apparatus.

Nearly 74% of the votes for Museveni

After nearly 81% of the ballots were counted, Mr. Museveni was credited with 73.7% of the vote, compared to 22.7% for Bobi Wine – whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi – according to the latest figures from the electoral commission. The results are expected by 4:00 PM on Saturday (1:00 PM GMT).

Bobi Wine has emerged in recent years as the main rival of Mr. Museveni, who has been in power for forty years. He calls himself the "president of the ghetto," referring to the impoverished neighborhoods of Kampala where he grew up.

The 43-year-old former raggamuffin singer, who was detained and tortured during the previous elections in 2021, had been under house arrest since Thursday evening, according to the NUP. "This isn't force. They're acting this way out of fear of the people they've offended by committing so many atrocities against them," Mr. Wine had criticized earlier in the day on X, saying he was still besieged by security forces.

Ugandan police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke later asserted that the opposition leader was "not under house arrest" and that police officers were "simply ensuring his safety," according to the private channel NBS.

AFP journalists visited Bobi Wine's seemingly calm home on Friday morning and observed a police vehicle and several officers. Prior to the elections, authorities had shut down the internet, which had not yet been restored by Friday.