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Ugandan Elections: Ugandan forces ordered to leave Bobi Wine property

Ugandan security forces have left the home of Presidential challenger Bobi Wine, after a ruling by a judge on Monday disapproving authorities from holding the candidate for 11 days hence leading to him being released.

Bobi Wine, whose real name Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has been held against his will at his home unable to leave since January 14th 2021, we wrote about it here>>>.

The authorities said Mr. Wine could leave his home under military escort, because they feared his presence in public could incite riots.

Justice Michael Elubu said in his ruling that Mr Wine’s home was not fit to be a detention facility, and the authorities should have criminally charged him if he threatened the order.

Late Tuesday morning the police and military units that were posted at the politician’s home, could be seen leaving despite fears that neither would comply with the court order.

READ ALSO: Ugandan elections: Nigerian lawyer, Femi Falana, files complaint on Bobi Wine’s unlawful detention

The police will continue to “maintain surveillance to ensure [Wine] doesn’t break the law during this period”.

Mr Wine met newly elected members of parliaments from his National Unity Platform (NUP) party outside his home.

“The people of Uganda are relying on us, they voted us and we must not disappoint them. While you take up these offices you need to remember that you are servants to the people,” he told the politicians.

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, according to the official results during the Ugandan elections won the election with 58% of cast ballot while Bobi Wine had 34%. But the elections according to Mr. Wine were fraud with allegations of the military stuffing ballot, casting ballots for people and chasing voters from polling stations. Mr Wine called upon his supporters to protest against the fraud through non-violent means.

READ ALSO: Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni wins sixth term amid fraud allegations

Mr Museveni has dismissed allegations of vote-rigging, calling the election “the most cheating-free” since independence from Britain in 1962.

A week ago, Guardian news reports, security forces cordoned off the officers of the NUP in the capital. It was aimed at complicating efforts to collect evidence of poll irregularities. With Uganda accusing the US of attempting to destabilise the elections after the US Ambassador tried to visit Mr Wine at his home.

The election was marred by violence in the run-up to the polling day with dozens shot in protests. Never has there been peaceful transfer of power in the country, the reason why even some from within the ruling party publicly urge Mr Museveni to preside over an orderly transition.

Source: Afronews.de, Guardian.