Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says they will continue doing protests to fight for the rights of Ugandan citizens.
On Thursday, former presidential candidate Bobi Wine disclosed that the police had encircled his residence, effectively placing him "under house arrest" in anticipation of a scheduled protest. The opposition leaders had intended to organize demonstrations on Thursday to address the substandard state of roads in Uganda, a country slated to host two global summits in the upcoming days.
Wine, a former popstar who transitioned into politics, stated that both police and soldiers had prevented him from exiting his residence in Magere, located to the north of the capital Kampala.
"The cowardly military & police have surrounded our home and put us under house arrest, but the protest is on," the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader said on X.
"Fix our roads! Free Political Prisoners! Free Uganda!"
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Wine, known by his real name Robert Kyagulanyi, contested against long-time President Yoweri Museveni in Uganda's 2021 election, advocating for an end to Museveni's authoritarian governance.
On Thursday, former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye from the opposition party Forum for Democratic Change revealed that he, too, faced restrictions and was not permitted to leave his residence.
"Barricaded at home by the COWARDS! No turning back; we deserve better. Please do what you can, wherever you're, with whatever you have, to show the terrible roads affecting you today," he posted on X.
A police spokesman confirmed the "security deployment" outside the two residences.
"We have taken some measures to stop them from instigating some people to hold unlawful assemblies and political demonstrations," Patrick Onyango, spokesman for Kampala Metropolitan Police, told AFP.
"There is security deployment at Bobi Wine and Dr Besigye's homes not to arrest but as a preventive measure in line with police mandate."
Opposition parties have alleged that the government is detaining individuals without homes and demolishing numerous roadside kiosks as part of a cleanup initiative preceding the Non-Aligned Movement and G77+China summits in Kampala.
