Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has left the country after spending two months in hiding following January’s disputed presidential election.
In a statement posted via a five-minute video on X, Wine said he went abroad for “critical engagements” and to mobilise the international community against President Yoweri Museveni. He repeated his claim to have won the election, alleging it had been rigged in favour of Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.
Museveni, 81, officially won the election with 72% of the vote and has accused the opposition of attempting to overturn the results through violence. Wine called for targeted sanctions against Museveni in his video, marking his first public appearance in weeks.
While some government officials have denied that security forces were actively searching for Wine, Museveni’s son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, head of the country’s military, had posted threats stating Wine was “wanted dead or alive” and even threatened castration, messages which have since been deleted from his social media account. Wine has not been accused of committing any specific offenses.
Wine alleged that authorities repeatedly raided his supporters’ homes and set up roadblocks across Uganda in efforts to capture him. He said his residence in the capital, Kampala, remained surrounded by the military since election day.
“I thank all you fellow Ugandans who have concealed and protected me all the time while the regime was looking for me,” Wine said in the video. He denied breaking any laws, adding, “running for president is not a crime.”
Following protests over the election results, Gen Kainerugaba claimed that 30 members of Wine’s party, whom he labelled as “terrorists,” had been killed, further escalating tensions in the country.
