Kampala, Uganda (CU)_ After Yoweri Museveni won the Ugandan presidential election, his challenger and singer-turned politician Bobi Wine was house arrested and the Ugandan security forces blocked Natalie Brown, United States Ambassador to Uganda, from visiting Bobi Wine. Ever since 1986, the 76-year-old Museveni has been ruling Uganda. With 59 per cent of the vote, he was proclaimed the winner of the presidential election, while Bobi Wine gained 35 per cent.
Bobi Wine, the key challenger, said on Monday that the envoy had been barred from visiting him. The singer-turned-politician accused the officials of violating his right to liberty. Bobi Wine took to Twitter to share the issue. He tweeted, “This afternoon, the US Ambassador to Uganda made an effort to visit me but was turned away from my gate by the soldiers who have held me and my wife captive for the past five days”.
He further explained his situation under house arrest. He wrote, “Day Six under house arrest and we’re still stuck with an 18 months old baby who had paid a visit to her auntie (my wife) be4 we were raided & besieged. The Dad has been denied access to her. We have run out of food and milk. No one is allowed to leave or come into our compound.”
In the meantime, it was reported by the US embassy that Brown was barred from visiting Bobi Wine’s residence in Kampala. The mission clarified that the diplomat intends only to verify Wine’s health and safety. The US embassy in Kampala released a statement in Facebook. The post said, “Uganda’s election campaigns were marred by the harassment of opposition candidates, campaign staff, and supporters; suppression of the media and civil society organization activities; and a nationwide internet shutdown before, during, and after voting day”.
Now, the American envoy has been specifically accused by Uganda of attempting to overturn the election. The government spokesman warned the American envoy saying that Brown should not “cry for Ugandans.” He said, “What she has been trying to do blatantly is to meddle in Uganda’s internal politics, particularly elections, to subvert our elections and the will of the people. She shouldn’t do anything outside the diplomatic norms”. Opondo claimed that Brown had a history of causing problems in countries where she served in the past, and that she was being watched by the Ugandan government too. He said that Wine is house arrested in order to avoid a huge protest across the country.
Following the official declaration of Museveni’s victory in the Ugandan presidential elections, the opposition candidate Bobi Wine and his National Unity Platform (NUP) denied the election results. Security forces have been barring party leaders from their Kampala offices. The opposition argues that the conspiracy was to prevent them from collecting proof of electoral malpractice.
