Uganda army chief denies allegation of assault on opposition leader's wife


FILE PHOTO: Muhoozi Kainerugaba of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), the son of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who leads the Ugandan army's land forces, looks on during his birthday party in Entebbe, Uganda May 7, 2022. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa/File Photo

NAIROBI, Jan 26 (Reuters) - ‌Ugandan military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba on Monday denied ‌allegations by opposition leader Bobi Wine that ‌soldiers attacked Wine's wife during an overnight raid on their home.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, alleged troops broke into ‍his residence overnight into Saturday in ‍the Magere suburb of ‌Kampala, assaulted staff and choked his wife, Barbara Kyagulanyi, ‍forcing ​her to seek medical treatment.

Wine, who has been in hiding following the East African ⁠nation's disputed presidential election, said he was ‌not at home at the time.

Kainerugaba, who is also President ⁠Yoweri Museveni's ‍son, dismissed the accusations in a post on X, saying the army "do not beat up women."

"They are not worth ‍our time. We are looking for ‌her cowardly husband not her," Kainerugaba said, referring to Wine and his wife.

Wine, a pop-star-turned-politician, has accused Ugandan security forces of harassment since the January 15 presidential election, which President Museveni won with 71.6% of the vote.

Wine, who finished second, has rejected the ‌result, alleging fraud.

It is unclear why the military is searching for him.

Rights groups and the opposition have long accused Museveni's ​government of using the military to suppress dissent, accusations the government denies.

(Reporting by Vincent Mumo Nzilani; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

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