Uganda Army Chief threatens to kill opposition

Uganda’s Electoral Commission in Jan 17 declared President Yoweri Museveni the winner of a contested general election, saying he secured about 71.6% of the vote, while his main challenger, opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi — popularly known as Bobi Wine — received roughly 24.7%. The result extended Museveni’s four decades in power but was immediately rejected by Wine, who cited widespread irregularities, voter intimidation and violence.

In the days following the announcement, Wine said he had been placed under house arrest and accused security forces of surrounding and later raiding his home. In a video message shared online, he said the restrictions forced him to flee and go into hiding, reinforcing opposition claims that the vote had not been free or fair.

Tensions between the government and the opposition have since deepened, with senior military figures increasingly weighing in publicly. Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba — Museveni’s son — has used social media to repeatedly target Wine and his National Unity Platform (NUP), posting remarks that opposition groups have described as “threatening.”

In one post, Kainerugaba said he was “embarrassed” by the military’s record, adding that “22 killed in one week is too low” and promising to “do better.” In another, he warned that security forces would “kill on sight all NUP so-called foot soldiers” unless President Museveni ordered otherwise. Elsewhere, he claimed that 22 NUP “terrorists” had been killed and said he was “praying the 23rd is Kabobi,” using a derogatory reference to Wine.

Kainerugaba later issued a 48-hour ultimatum, saying Wine should surrender to police or be treated “as an outlaw or rebel” and dealt with accordingly.

Wine responded by accusing the military of escalating harassment at his residence as the threats were being made. In a statement posted online, he said that soldiers stationed at his home had banged on doors late at night, hurled insults and ordered occupants to come outside, claiming witnesses believed the soldiers appeared drunk.

He said his family was no longer safe and accused security forces of blocking food deliveries, leaving those inside the compound hungry. According to Wine, soldiers cut the home’s padlocks and replaced them with chains, further restricting movement.

The Ugandan government has denied accusations of political repression and unlawful killings. However, the increasingly aggressive public rhetoric by senior military officials has heightened fears among opposition supporters and raised concerns about the shrinking space for political dissent in the country.