Kampala — Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said he had secretly left Uganda to escape what he described as pressure and a manhunt by security forces following the country’s January 15 presidential election.
The vote was officially won by long-serving President Yoweri Museveni with 71.6 percent of ballots cast, according to final results. Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, rejected the outcome as fraudulent and unrepresentative of the people’s will.
For weeks after the poll, Wine’s whereabouts were unknown, sparking concern among supporters and rights groups about his safety. During that period, Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba — the president’s son — posted social media messages widely interpreted as threats against the opposition figure, further heightening tensions.
In a video message shared online, Wine said he had successfully left the country to undertake “important engagements abroad.” He pledged to return when circumstances allow to continue what he called the struggle for democracy and political freedoms.
He also thanked Ugandan citizens who he said had sheltered and protected him while he was in hiding.
Security forces had earlier surrounded and raided Wine’s residence a day after the election, prompting him to go underground out of fear for his safety. During the campaign, he drew strong backing from urban youth, emerging as the most prominent challenger to Museveni’s decades-long rule.
Museveni, 81, is expected to be sworn in again in May for what would be his seventh term in office, bringing him closer to half a century at the helm of the East African nation.
Supporters credit him with delivering stability and relative peace, making Uganda a host to hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighbouring countries. Critics, including opposition figures and some former allies, accuse him of gradually eroding democratic institutions and political freedoms.
