Uganda’s presidential hopeful Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu otherwise known as Bobi Wine, has said that armed state security officers raided his home on Tuesday, two days before the historic vote which pits him and veteran leader Yoweri Museveni.Wine, a pop singer-cum member of parliament told journalists that some of his own security guards have been arrested during the raid at his Kamwokya residence in a suburb of Kampala by soldiers.

An interview he was having with the media i his house was interrupted by the presence of soldiers.

“The army has this morning raided my home, arrested all my security guards and anyone they could see around my premises” Wine said.

The Uganda security apparatus has not commented.

The 38-year old widely seen as the main challenger of President Yoweri Museveni in Thursday’s presidential election appeals strongly to Uganda’s largely youthful population.

Museveni’s government has been severally accused of resorting to crackdowns on Wine and his supporter.

Severally arrested, detained, tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed, Wine  has alleged several near misses on his life and goes around wearing  protective gears including a helmet instead of his signature red beret.

Over 50 people presumably Wine’s own supporters have died in running street battles with the police since November.

The electoral commission has discouraged political rallies, saying  they could be so-called “superspreaders” of the coronavirus and accused  Wine and his opposition National Unity Platform party of flouting  Covid-19 health regulations which frown on gatherings of all kinds  including political campaign meetings.

Wine is promising employment to Uganda’s army of jobless youth and tackle poverty.