Lieutenant General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s army chief and son of President Yoweri Museveni, has claimed that 30 supporters of the opposition were killed and 2,000 people arrested in the wake of last week’s disputed election.
Kainerugaba made the assertion on Friday in a post on X, describing the detainees as “hooligans” allegedly linked to opposition leader Bobi Wine.
“We have arrested over 2,000 hooligans that Kabobi thought he would use,” he wrote, using a nickname for Wine. “So far we have killed 30 NUP terrorists,” he added, referring to Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party.
The claim comes amid mounting international concern over the crackdown on opposition activity following the January 15 election, which saw President Museveni declared the winner with 72 per cent of the vote, while Wine received 25 per cent, according to the Electoral Commission.
Wine has rejected the result as a “blatant theft” and called for protests. He has remained in hiding after accusing security forces of raiding his home after the vote.
The election period was marked by heavy repression, an internet shutdown, and reports of violence, which drew criticism from African observers and international NGOs.
Kainerugaba, 51, is known for his controversial social media posts and has openly indicated his ambition to succeed his father. He has also threatened to hunt down and kill Wine in the past.
Among those detained is opposition lawmaker Muwanga Kivumbi, representing the Butambala area, where serious election-day violence was reported. Kivumbi told AFP that security forces killed 10 of his campaign agents after storming his home. Police, however, said the supporters were shot after attempting to burn down a vote-tallying centre and a police station.
An opposition lawyer, Erias Lukwago, said more than 600 people had been arrested over election protests, adding that many of those detained were unaware of the charges against them.
“In all the charges, our clients are denying them,” he said. “Some say they were picked up from their homes by the police and locked up before appearing in court.” By