Military surround Uganda opposition candidate's home

Armed government-deployed forces in Uganda surrounded the home of opposition candidate Bobi Wine on Friday, as the disputed vote count continues in the country's presidential election.

Wine showed Reuters around his compound in the capital Kampala, where several armed men were seen through a fence communicating via radios.

Wine, who is challenging incumbent and long-time leader Yoweri Museveni, claims there's been widespread election fraud - and said on Friday he was now under siege.

"I thought I should inform the world that our lives are in danger and should anything happen to us, at least we have had the opportunity while still alive to expose everything that is being plotted on our lives."

A government spokesperson denied that Wine was under house arrest, saying security had been deployed in his neighbourhood for his own protection.

Museveni, who has led Uganda for over three decades, took a commanding lead in the election on Friday.

But Wine claimed at a news conference on Friday that he had won the vote, and had video proof of voting fraud.

His claims have not been independently verified by Reuters.

The United States and European Union did not deploy observers for this election, though the African Union and East African Community both did.

But neither team has responded to request for comment about possible irregularities.

This election campaign has been marred by deadly crackdowns by security forces on opposition candidates and their supporters, including the arrest of Wine and others on multiple occasions.

Museveni's government had ordered an internet blackout until further notice ahead of the vote, and banned all social media and messaging apps.

Museveni said that was in retaliation for Facebook taking down some pro-government accounts.

And on Thursday, election commission chairman Simon Byabakama told Ugandans results were arriving at the national tallying centre despite the blackout, and that they were using their own system to transmit results, without giving details.

Byabakama told a news conference that under Ugandan law, the burden of proof now rests with Wine to prove the results are rigged.