Ugandan musician-turned-politician, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was on Thursday arrested at the Entebbe International Airport in the capital, Kampala on his return to the country, his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), said in a statement.
The party, in the statement posted on social media, said Wine was “violently arrested upon his return to Uganda”, with his “whereabouts yet to be ascertained.”
The NUP said the popular opposition leader was “grabbed” by “government goons” and put under house arrest on his return from abroad.
According to the party, Wine flew in from South Africa on Thursday, via the Rwandan capital, Kigali, following a series of international engagements. His supporters had planned to welcome him at Entebbe International Airport and accompany him to his home in a huge march, but the police said this was illegal.
A video posted by the NUP on X showed the political leader being led away after disembarking from a plane in Entebbe, while one of his associates was heard on the video saying, “Where are you taking him?”
“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, the NUP leader in parliament, said in reaction to the arrest.
However, the Ugandan police has denied Bobi Wine’s arrest, saying he was merely “escorted” home.
“Disregard rumours of his arrest by propagandists,” National Police spokesman, Patrick Onyango told journalists, adding that the security agents had only accompanied Wine to his residence in Magere, Kasangati.
Wine, a former pop star, has been the strongest challenger to President Yoweri Museveni who has held office for almost 40 years. He has had several brushes with the government since he dumped the microphone for politics.
He has been arrested numerous times and has faced several charges, including treason, incitement and corruption.
In 2021, Wine made a failed bid for the presidency in a tense and disputed election which many political analysts in the country said was rigged in favour of Museveni.
The election campaign was marked by a crackdown on the opposition, with at least 54 people killed during anti-government demonstrations.