The Ugandan military on Tuesday raided the house of Robert Kyagulanyi, the presidential candidate of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Uganda will hold its parliamentary and presidential votes on Thursday, 14 January 2021. The election has pitched main challenger, Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, against incumbent President Yoweri Museveni.
Bobi Wine was doing a live radio interview with Kenya’s Hot 96 FM station when the reported raid took place.
He ended the interview abruptly, saying he had to go as he could see military officers beating up his security.
Some commotion could be heard in the background moments before he disconnected the call.
Later, the 38-year-old former reggae musician tweeted: “The army has this morning raided my home, arrested all my security guards and anyone they could see around my premises.
“No reason for the arrest was given.”
Bobi Wine had in the past decried harassment from security officers in the run-up to the 14 January elections. He had been arrested no fewer than three times; his vehicle shot at and his bodyguard was killed last month when he was run over by a vehicle belonging to the military police.
In October 2020, no fewer than 54 people were killed during a riot over his arrest at a campaign rally.
Meanwhile, Museveni announced on Twitter that he would address the nation at 7 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) on Tuesday. He has repeatedly accused Wine of being “an agent of foreign interests” without providing any evidence for his claims.