The Uganda Police Force has denied claims that opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulani, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was Friday, January 16 night arrested and taken to an unknown location.

Speaking to the press on Saturday, January 17, police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke dismissed the reports as “fake and malicious” and meant to mislead the Ugandan people.

According to Rusoke, Bobi Wine is not under house arrest, with deployment around his home in Magere, Wakiso District, Central Uganda, just a precautionary measure after getting intelligence that it was a place of interest security-wise.

“Mr Robert Kgyagulani Ssentamu [Bobi Wine], as far as I am concerned, is not under arrest. The deployment around his home, yes it is visible, but we have deployed in all areas where our intelligence estimates gave us, or pointed to such areas as places of interest…This include precincts or places around Magere,” Rusoke said.

Security purposes

Rusoke further told reporters that groups of youths had started gathering in places around Magere, and they were starting to become disorderly, prompting authorities to deploy more officers.

“We also have information that these youth are under assignment of specific political figures. It should not surprise you when we have a pick-up or two near the residence of Honourable Kyagulani. We don’t commit any offence when we deploy in Magere. He is not under arrest,” he added.

The police spokesperson also dismissed as “fake and inciteful” reports that a guard at the home of Bobi Wine was shot and killed, as reported by the National Unity Platform (NUP).

“I don’t know where the allegations that his guard was shot and killed came from. You know with social media there are many false information.”

And when Rusoke was questioned again on placing Bobi Wine under house arrest, he quickly and firmly answered. “We have not necessarily denied people from accessing him, but we can also not tolerate instances where people use his premises to gather and cause unnecessary violence, or incite violence.”

Museveni leading presidential race

Meanwhile, the provisional results show that President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is enjoying a 71.88% lead, having garnered 7,643,778 votes so far. Bobi Wine of NUP comes a distant second with 2,601,150 votes.

The NUP candidate has already dismissed the results as fake, urging Ugandans to ignore the numbers being released by the Electoral Commission.