National Unity Platform President Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was reportedly abducted from his Magere residence during a late-night operation involving a military helicopter on Friday night.
During a phone call interview with Ugandan media, Barbie Kyagulanyi recounted the frightening raid that occurred on Friday night.
“Men are attempting to get into the house. They want to break into the house. They started by removing our cameras, then they brought ladders on the sides, and they have taken out our electricity,” she narrated on the call heard by Kenyans.co.ke.
“They have put a loudspeaker outside, and they have a helicopter above. They have a big light on the helicopter that is helping them,” she continued.
“They have us surrounded, and they have chained our gates,” she said. Barbie says she and Sharif yelled for help, temporarily forcing the officers to halt their operations and retreat.
Before the call ends, Barbie can be heard telling Sharif to wait for her to complete the call while insisting they will be back. It is unclear whether she is referring to Bobi Wine's Personal Assistant, Don Najja Sharif, or Bobi Wine's look-alike, Kalanzi Sharif.
According to statements released by the National Unity Platform, the opposition leader’s private security guards were violently assaulted by the invading forces despite offering no provocation or committing any offense.
Security officers were seen unlawfully jumping over the perimeter fence and erecting tents within the compound, signaling an intended long-term siege. Tensions reached a breaking point when reports emerged of a helicopter landing near the premises to facilitate the forceful removal of the opposition leader.
The National Unity Platform has expressed grave concerns regarding his safety and the ultimate intentions of the state operatives involved in the midnight raid.
While addressing the abduction claims, Uganda Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke termed the reports as 'untrue and unfounded'. "These are deceitful and inciteful allegations intended to depict the security agencies of Uganda as brutal and violators of the rights of a political candidate. They are untrue and unfounded," Rusoke said.
The abduction of Kyagulanyi came hours after police allegedly killed at least seven people at the home of MP Muwanga Kivumbi in the wee hours of Friday morning.
The lawmaker who is close to Bobi Wine claims that the victims were murdered inside his home at around three in the morning while they awaited the announcement of the election results for his parliamentary seat.
“They killed 10 people inside my house,” Kivumbi said. “There were people inside the garage who were waiting for the results to celebrate my victory.”
However, Police Spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe said machete-wielding opposition “goons” organised by the MP attacked a police station and vote-tallying centre.
“Security responded in self-defence because these people came in large numbers. Police fired in self-defence,” Tumushabe told the Reuters news agency, adding that 25 people were arrested.
