There have been reports circulating online
claiming that Uganda’s opposition presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has been forcibly removed from his home and taken by a military helicopter to an unknown location.
In a statement published by the National Unity Platform (
NUP) on the social media platform X, it is stated that government security operatives deployed at the residence of Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu deliberately cut off electricity to the house and destroyed the electric fence surrounding the premises. The statement further adds that President Bobi Wine’s private security guards were attacked and violently assaulted despite having committed no offense.
The
Uganda Police Force has denied reports circulating that opposition presidential candidate R Kyagulanyi was abducted at night and taken to an unknown location.
Police said the claims are “misleading and inflammatory, aimed at portraying security agencies as brutal and as violators of the rights of a political candidate.”
Through the social media platform X (Twitter), Bobi Wine’s son,
Solomon Kampala, said he had received information that during the raid his father managed to escape, but his mother is still being held at their home under heavy police guard, with no one allowed to enter or leave.
This comes two days after Uganda held its General Election, in which preliminary results show Yoweri Museveni leading with 76.25 percent.
Claim
There has been an
image circulating online showing a helicopter that is alleged to have abducted the presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, after landing at his residence.
Verdict
An online investigation conducted by JamiiCheck using digital evidence confirmed that the image had been manipulated. The photo was edited by darkening it and adding light effects in various parts of the helicopter, which misrepresents the reality since it was originally taken during the daytime.
The image was posted on January 26, 2021, by
Robert Kyagulanyi on the social media platform X, where he explained that it depicted the ongoing situation at his residence. He further stated that, in addition to being surrounded by military and police personnel, military and police helicopters were consistently hovering over the premises, in violation of their privacy rights.
