Uganda’s post-election tensions are boiling over after General Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly threatened opposition leader Bobi Wine with arrest, triggering sharp accusations of intimidation, abuse of power, and alleged security raids on the opposition chief’s home.
A new political showdown has erupted in Uganda after General Muhoozi Kainerugaba issued a dramatic 48-hour ultimatum to opposition leader Bobi Wine, ordering him to surrender to police or risk being treated as an outlaw.
Muhoozi warned that Bobi Wine must present himself to authorities within two days or face forceful action.
The army general claimed the directive was his personal decision, distancing President Yoweri Museveni from the threat.
“I am giving Bobi Wine exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the police,” Muhoozi said, adding that failure to comply would see him handled as a rebel.
The ultimatum immediately sparked backlash from Bobi Wine, who accused state security agencies of already targeting him.
The National Unity Platform leader said armed forces had raided his Magere home overnight in an attempt to arrest or harm him.
“You ordered the raid on my house to harm me,” Bobi Wine responded, saying he narrowly escaped during what he described as a coordinated night operation involving power cuts, disabled CCTV cameras and helicopters hovering above his residence.
Bobi Wine, who leads the National Unity Platform (NUP), dismissed claims by authorities that they were not pursuing him, arguing that Muhoozi’s public ultimatum contradicted earlier denials. He accused Uganda’s security establishment of carrying out widespread abuses against civilians and opposition supporters.
“I will resurface when I decide,” he said, vowing that those responsible would one day face consequences for what he termed atrocities against Ugandans.
According to Bobi Wine, while he managed to flee, his wife and other family members remain confined at the Magere residence under heavy security presence.
He said officers were actively searching for him across the country.
Ugandan police rejected the allegations, with Assistant Commissioner Kituuma Rusoke dismissing the claims as misleading and politically motivated.
Police accused the opposition leader of trying to portray security agencies as violent and lawless.
Bobi Wine linked the confusion surrounding his whereabouts to the nationwide internet shutdown and intense security deployment during the election period, saying neighbours assumed he had been abducted after seeing troops surround his home.
The public standoff has heightened fears of political instability following Uganda’s January 15, 2026 elections.
With threats, counter-accusations and denials flying from both sides, the confrontation between Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Bobi Wine has placed Uganda’s political climate under renewed regional and international scrutiny.
