Uganda's army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said he was praying for the death of opposition leader Bobi Wine and issued a 48-hour ultimatum for him to surrender to police, sharply escalating tensions days after his father, President Yoweri Museveni, was declared the winner of a contentious presidential election.

The remarks, made in a series of late-night posts on the social media platform X, came as Wine said he was in hiding after fleeing what he described as a military raid on his home shortly before election results were announced.

"I am giving him exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the Police," Kainerugaba wrote. "If he doesn't, we will treat him as an outlaw/rebel and handle him accordingly."

In another post, he added, "We have killed 22 NUP terrorists since last week. I'm praying the 23rd is Kabobi," using a derogatory nickname for Wine and referring to his National Unity Platform party.

The statements drew immediate concern from opposition figures and rights advocates. Uganda's police sought to distance themselves from the remarks. Police spokesperson, Rusoke Kituuma, said Wine was not being sought by authorities.

Wine, a former pop star whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, finished second in the vote and has accused the government of widespread electoral fraud. Since Saturday, he has released several statements from undisclosed locations.

President Museveni, 81, was declared the landslide winner, extending his nearly four-decade rule. The campaign period was marked by repeated confrontations between security forces and opposition supporters, with reports of shootings at rallies and incidents of post-election violence.

Kainerugaba, 51, widely viewed as a potential successor, has a long history of inflammatory social media posts. In 2022, he threatened to invade neighboring Kenya. Last year, he boasted that Wine's bodyguard was being held in his basement and threatened to castrate him. The bodyguard was later charged with robbery.

Wine responded directly to the latest threats.

"Last night as Museveni's son was making these threats to kill me and gloating over killing 22 of our supporters (in reality, he has killed over 100 since last week), the military who are stationed inside our compound yet again banged my house doors as they sang profanities, ordering the occupants to come out of the house if they're men," he wrote on X. "The people at my home say the criminals seemed to be drunk. We demand that the military vacate our home immediately. My wife and people are not safe. They're starving after these criminals blocked food from reaching them. They cut the padlocks of our gates and replaced them with chains."

His wife, Barbie Kyagulanyi, said security forces remained stationed at their residence.

"We're not safe. Military men are inside our compound. Others are outside - all around our wall. They have infringed on our privacy for 6 days now," she wrote on Facebook. "Last night, they banged our doors while insulting me and my husband. We are hungry. They have blocked food supplies from getting to us. We need our freedom."

At least 118 members of Wine's party were charged in court on Monday with election-related offences, including unlawful assembly and conspiracy, according to court documents. The party's secretary general, David Rubongoya, denied any involvement in violence.

International observers and rights groups have criticized the election environment, accusing the government of intimidation and repression. While Uganda avoided the mass unrest seen in some neighboring countries after disputed polls, the army chief's remarks have intensified fears of further crackdowns on dissent.

Wine has also spoken out about the detention of veteran opposition figure Kizza Besigye.

"Very sad to hear that Dr. Kizza Besigye's health has continued to deteriorate while in detention, having been denied access to proper medical care," he wrote on X. "We stand fully in solidarity with him and pray for his recovery. Museveni and his criminal regime must never get away with all the suffering they have caused to our nation."

Despite the threats, Wine has continued to challenge the election outcome publicly, even as his whereabouts remain unknown and security forces maintain a visible presence around his home.