In a telephone interview on Wednesday, the 43-year-old said he had been forced to keep moving after what he described as a police raid on his home, adding that ordinary Ugandans were now offering him shelter and protection.

“I’m not a criminal. I’m a presidential candidate, and it’s not a crime to run against the president,” he said.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, had earlier condemned the January poll as a “blatant theft” after Museveni was declared winner with 72 per cent of the vote.

The former musician-turned-politician, who was also arrested ahead of the 2021 election, claimed he narrowly escaped arrest on Saturday when security operatives allegedly stormed his residence. His location has remained undisclosed since then.

He said he was surviving with the help of everyday citizens, noting that he was constantly on the move but being protected by the public.

Wine was responding to a threat issued by Uganda’s army chief and Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who vowed to hunt him down. In a post on X, Kainerugaba alleged that several supporters of Wine’s National Unity Platform had been killed, claims the opposition leader strongly dismissed.

Wine insisted that participating in an election does not make him a criminal and rejected the accusations against his supporters.

Speaking on the future of his party, he said there was no fixed strategy under the current political conditions, stressing that responses were shaped by the level of oppression.

The election has faced criticism from African observers, who said arrests and abductions of opposition figures created fear among voters. The polls were also marred by violence and a nationwide internet shutdown.

Museveni, 81, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, has repeatedly accused the opposition of plotting to overturn the election through violence, branding them as terrorists.