Uganda opposition candidate Bobi Wine says he and team under arrest

Ugandan opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, says he has been arrested along with his entire campaign team.

The police have not yet commented on the arrest.

Bobi Wine is seen as the strongest challenger to President Yoweri Museveni who is seeking re-election 35 years after he came to power.

At least 50 people were killed in November, following protests at Bobi Wine’s detention on charges of breaking coronavirus restrictions.

On Sunday a bodyguard for Bobi Wine was killed and two journalists were injured on Sunday amid violent confrontations between security forces and followers of the singer and lawmaker.

A tearful Bobi Wine said his bodyguard had died of his injuries after being allegedly run over by a truck belonging to the military police.

On Tuesday, UN human rights experts called on Uganda to rein in security forces and drop charges against political opponents and activists arrested in what the experts called an election clampdown.

“We are gravely concerned by the election-related violence, the excessive use of force by security personnel, as well as the increasing crackdown on peaceful protesters, political and civil society leaders and human rights defenders,” the UN group said on Tuesday.

It added: “Since the publication of the guidelines on the conduct of elections during Covid-19 in June by the Uganda electoral commission, we have witnessed gradual shrinking of civic space, and misuse and abuse of health-related restrictions to curb dissent in the country.”