Nairobi — Uganda's army chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has sparked outrage and international concern after threatening to kill the country's main opposition leader Bobi Wine, just hours after giving him a 48-hour ultimatum to present himself to the police.
Muhoozi, the son of long-time ruler President Yoweri Museveni, made the threat as he claimed that security forces had killed twenety-two opposition "terrorists" following the disputed presidential election that extended Museveni's nearly 40-year rule.
In a veiled reference to Bobi Wine -- whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu -- Muhoozi suggested that "Kabobi", as he derisively called him, should be the next to die.
"We have killed 22 NUP terrorists since last week. I'm praying the 23rd is Kabobi," Muhoozi wrote in an X post.
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In a separate post, Muhoozi had earlier issued an ultimatum to the opposition leader.
"As for Kabobi, the permanent loser, I'm giving him exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the Police. If he doesn't we will treat him as an outlaw/rebel and handle him accordingly," he said.
The remarks have deepened fears of a violent crackdown, coming as Kyagulanyi remains in hiding following a night raid on his home and his rejection of the presidential election results.
Muhoozi also vowed to wipe the National Unity Platform (NUP) from Uganda's political landscape, claiming divine authority for the threat.
"I, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, am a prophet of Almighty God... Now I tell you that NUP will be removed and extinguished from our land like a bad dream!" he wrote.
Disputed win
The threats come just days after Uganda's Electoral Commission declared Museveni the winner of the January 15 election with 71.65 per cent of the vote, securing him a seventh term in office.
The commission said Museveni garnered about 7.9 million votes, while Kyagulanyi came second with about 2.7 million votes, or 24.72 per cent, in an election held under heavy security deployment and a nationwide internet shutdown.
Kyagulanyi rejected the results describing them as fraudulent and not reflective of what happened at polling stations.
The opposition leader fled to an undisclosed location on Friday night after soldiers and police raided his home, cut off electricity, disabled surveillance cameras and deployed helicopters as they attempted to arrest him.
He said his wife and children remained confined inside the residence under what he described as house arrest.
"Last night was very difficult at our home in Magere," Kyagulanyi said in a statement on Saturday, adding that security forces were searching for him "everywhere" as he tried to stay safe.
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'Fake results'
He accused the government of ballot stuffing, arresting opposition polling agents and using the internet blackout to shield alleged irregularities from public scrutiny.
"Those so-called results are fake and do not in any way reflect what happened at the polling stations," he said, calling for the restoration of internet services and the publication of declaration forms and tally sheets for public verification.
He also said security forces had killed citizens who attempted to protest peacefully against what he called electoral "thuggery," and urged Ugandans to continue rejecting the outcome through peaceful means.
There was no immediate response from the government or the Uganda People's Defence Forces to Muhoozi's remarks.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly accused Ugandan security forces of using excessive force, arbitrary arrests and lethal violence against government critics -- allegations the government denies.
Bobi Wine, a former pop star turned politician, remains Museveni's most formidable political challenger and the symbol of Uganda's youthful opposition movement.
Muhoozi, widely viewed as Museveni's heir apparent, has a long record of provocative and inflammatory social media statements, with the latest threats marking a dangerous escalation.
