Uganda's army chief, who is also the son of long-serving president Yoweri Museveni, said he wants opposition leader Bobi Wine dead, days after Wine claimed he had been forced into hiding. Wine already survived many attacks on his life since entering politics.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba's comments come after his father, President Yoweri Museveni won an seventh term following general elections on Thursday that was widely criticised by poll observers and rights groups.
The embattled opposition, led by 43-year-old Bobi Wine, real name Robert Kyagulanyi, says they faced violence and intimidation ahead of the vote, with international bodies also accusing the government of "brutal repression".
"We have killed 22 NUP terrorists since last week. I'm praying the 23rd is Kabobi," Kainerugaba posted on social media X late Monday night, referring to Wine and his National Unity Platform (NUP) party.
"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 added in a separate post on X.
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Ordeal
The east African country's veteran leader Yoweri Museveni, 81, was declared the landslide winner of the January 15 poll with 71.6 percent of the vote against his opponent Bobi Wine with 24.
Wine, the pop star-turned-politician, and his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP) have rejected the results, alleging widespread irregularities including ballot stuffing, enforced disappearance of polling agents and intimidation by security forces.
Wine's whereabouts remain unknown after he said on Saturday he had escaped a police raid on his home, where his wife remains under apparent house arrest. He says he is in hiding.
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine under house arrest as Museveni leads vote
Wine criticised Kainerugaba's "threats to kill me" on his own social media and demanded the military vacate the his compound, adding: "My wife and people are not safe."
He also appeared on NTV Uganda on Monday night and accused police of vandalising his home and said leaving his residence would free him "to speak to the world," still not disclosing his location.
The opposition leader had already faced arrest and torture in the run-up to the 2021 election, when he first ran for president.
Growing role
Over 100 members of Uganda's biggest opposition party have also been charged with various offences including unlawful assembly related to violence around last week's election, according to court documents and an opposition official.
In the run-up to polls last week, Kainerugaba, infamous for his colourful tweets and regular threats to behead Wine, was unusually silent on social media, but since his father's win he has returned to posting frequently, often late at night.
It has been said on several occasions that Museveni wants his son to succeed him.
(with newswires)
