16 January At about 3:00 am, violence broke out in
Butambala District about outside
Kampala where police spokeswoman Lydia Tumushabe called protesters "machete-wielding opposition goons". Tumushabe stated that the protesters attempted to storm the police station where votes were being 'verified', resulting in the police using live ammunition to disperse the crowd, killing several in "self defense". Shortly after security forces broke into Wine's house, assaulted his private security, and abducted him in a
Ugandan army helicopter with the NUP issuing a statement that the government was holding him under
house arrest. Military checkpoints were erected around Kampala with thousands of heavily armed police and army personnel being sent to the capital who have been targeting journalists as the government attempts to more stringently enforce its internet blackout with social media,
WhatsApp, and
email being blocked. The government also issued a statement that "police have deployed outside [Wine's] home and restricted his movements" for his own "protection" from the rioters. In
Kololo, opposition lawmakers were beaten at polling places, with at least 300 NUP members being arrested. Wine released a statement that the police had raided his home, but that he was able to escape in the confusion, as the police had cut power to his building, allowing him to climb over the perimeter fence in the dark of night and that he is currently safe in an undisclosed location. However, his wife and children are under house arrest at his residence while the police said Wine was lying and he was currently under house arrest, something they were not able to provide any evidence for. Wine also called on the Ugandan people to "reject whatever is being declared by
Byabakama" that the "results are fake" and "do not in any way reflect what is on the declaration forms" and that "We want to call upon the people of Uganda to reject these fake results." In response to the protests, social media was blocked in Uganda at 23:00 local time by authorities.
18 January Airtel Uganda restored the internet for businesses that use the internet, but the Uganda Communications Commission had ordered social media to remain blocked. Meanwhile the security presence around the capital was lessened while the
African Union reported that "reports of intimidation, arrest and abductions" had "instilled fear and eroded public trust in the electoral process."
19 January The NUP led members of the
Ugandan diaspora in
South Africa in protest outside of the Ugandan High Commission in
Pretoria against Museveni and for rejecting the election results. That same day 118 members of the party were arrested across Uganda for "unlawful assembly" and "unlawful possession of election materials." The NUP's secretary general
David Rubongoya stated that most of those arrested were NUP poll workers and election watchers, and that many of them were beaten unnecessarily during their arrests. In the interview he also stated that he initially allowed himself to be arrested and placed under house arrest, but escaped on Friday night when he learned that the officers were planning on attacking him as he slept and has been in hiding. After the interview aired the Ugandan police finally admitted that they did not have Wine in custody. The posts, and ones made earlier in the election where Muhoozi threatened to behead Wine, were well-received by some
NRM voters, with one supporter stating when shown the posts "He is my next president. He is a good man. I love him so much," while being interviewed at a pro-Museveni rally in Kampala. == Popular slogans ==