Uganda's military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has denied claims that soldiers assaulted Barbara Kyagulanyi, the wife of opposition leader Bobi Wine, during a raid at their home.
Wine, who is in hiding, alleged on Saturday that his wife was held at gunpoint by military officers who assaulted her, taking away documents and electronic items. He said the house continued to be surrounded by the military.
Speaking from hospital, Barbara Kyagulanyi said the officers had demanded to know Wine's whereabouts and had assaulted her when she refused.
It comes after the recent landslide victory of long-serving leader, and Kainerugaba's father, President Yoweri Museveni. Wine rejected the results citing fraud.
On Monday, the general posted on X that my soldiers did not beat up Barbie [Bobi Wine's] wife. First of all, we do not beat up women. They are not worth our time. We are looking for her cowardly husband not her, he said.
Since Museveni was announced the winner of the January 15 election, the military chief has demanded Wine's surrender and has issued death threats against him.
Wine said on Monday that Kainerugaba was still looking for him and issuing threats to harm me and thanked the people for continuing to keep him safe.
My wife is still recovering from the trauma of an overnight raid and assault... My home is still surrounded by the military, he added in a post on X.
From her hospital bed, Barbara Kyagulanyi had described how dozens of men had broken into her house, some in military uniform, harassing and assaulting her. She said one of the men hit me on the face and tore my lip and described being lifted by her waistband and choked.
Barbara Kyagulanyi stated she passed out after the ordeal, resulting in both physical and psychological trauma.
Since the election, the opposition has alleged that its supporters have been targeted by the security forces, with recent reports indicating that at least 30 of their supporters were killed and 2,000 others detained.
The Uganda Law Society denounced the ongoing wave of detentions, torture and enforced disappearance of opposition leaders and supporters, stating, No-one should be subjected to violence by security forces under the pretext of national security.
It remains a concerning time for Uganda, where the transition of power has not been peaceful since its independence. As Museveni prepares to serve further terms, voices of dissent against military and governmental abuses amplify.
