Kenya Insights

Tag: Bobi Wine

  • PHOTOS: Bobi Wine Draws Massive Crowd In Kampala As He Challenges Museveni

    PHOTOS: Bobi Wine Draws Massive Crowd In Kampala As He Challenges Museveni

    Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine drew enormous crowds in Kampala on Monday as he took his presidential campaign to the capital, stepping up his challenge to President Yoweri Museveni’s four decades in power ahead of elections scheduled for January.

    Wine — real name Robert Kyagulanyi — is a 43-year-old musician-turned-politician whose message has resonated strongly with Uganda’s youth.

    But he faces a formidable political establishment built around the 81-year-old incumbent, who has ruled since 1986.

    Tens of thousands of supporters packed the roadsides and surrounded Wine’s convoy as it wound through Kampala’s suburbs, marking his first major tour of the capital since confirming his second bid for the presidency.

    Massive crowds welcomed Bobi Wine in Kampala on Monday as the Ugandan opposition leader stepped up his bid to unseat long-time President Yoweri Museveni ahead of the January elections.
    Massive crowds welcomed Bobi Wine in Kampala on Monday as the Ugandan opposition leader stepped up his bid to unseat long-time President Yoweri Museveni ahead of the January elections.

    He began the day with a visit to Luzira maximum-security prison, where several officials and supporters from his National Unity Platform remain detained.

    Addressing cheering crowds dressed in the party’s red and black colours, Wine declared that Uganda was ready for change and that “the dictator must go.”

    He said those he met in prison remained defiant and unwavering in their demand for political transformation.

    Large numbers of police and army personnel lined the campaign route, despite the authorities having ordered rallies to remain within predetermined areas to prevent road disruptions.

    At one location, officers fired tear gas in an attempt to stop supporters from moving on to the next event, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

    Massive crowds welcomed Bobi Wine in Kampala on Monday as the Ugandan opposition leader stepped up his bid to unseat long-time President Yoweri Museveni ahead of the January elections.
    Massive crowds welcomed Bobi Wine in Kampala on Monday as the Ugandan opposition leader stepped up his bid to unseat long-time President Yoweri Museveni ahead of the January elections.

    Wine previously ran against Museveni in 2021, an election overshadowed by allegations of fraud and widespread violence by security forces.

    He has been arrested repeatedly over the years and has accused both the police and military of torturing him while in custody.

    Museveni’s son, army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has also made online threats against Wine, including repeated claims he would behead him.

    Museveni’s current campaign centres on safeguarding the progress he claims to have achieved and steering Uganda towards high middle-income status.

    Yet poverty remains widespread, with around one in six citizens living below the poverty line.

    While the president retains support for ending the brutal dictatorships of the 1970s and 1980s, critics accuse him of replicating the authoritarianism he once opposed.

    Uganda’s political climate remains tense. Last year, long-standing opposition figure Kizza Besigye was abducted in Kenya and returned to Uganda, where he now faces a treason charge carrying the possibility of the death penalty.

  • Ugandan Pop Star Bobi Wine Cleared to Challenge Aging Incumbent Again

    Ugandan Pop Star Bobi Wine Cleared to Challenge Aging Incumbent Again

    Ugandan opposition leader, pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, was cleared on Wednesday to stand for president, pitting him against Yoweri Museveni for a second time during a career in which he has been arrested and jailed multiple times for his opposition to the long-serving incumbent.

    Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, first challenged Museveni in the 2021 polls but came in second place.

    The 43-year-old however rejected the results and said his victory had been stolen through pre-ticked ballots, intimidation by security forces, falsification of results and voter bribery.

    Museveni, 81, who has ruled the east African country since 1986, was cleared to seek another term on Tuesday. If he wins, his rule will span nearly half a century.

    “Our country is one of the richest countries on the planet in terms of natural resources so…our problem is not lack of wealth,” Wine said after he was declared a candidate by the electoral body’s top official in the capital Kampala.

    “Our problem is lack of leadership, leadership that serves the people instead of terrorising them and exploiting them.”

    Kyagulanyi’s party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), has over the years decried what they say is continuous kidnapping, illegal detention and torture of its supporters and officials by Museveni’s government.

    Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s son and head of the military, in January threatened to behead to Wine.

    In May, Muhoozi also admitted to confining a missing NUP official in his basement and also threatened violence against him.

    Dozens of NUP supporters and officials have spent months and years in prison over what Wine and others say are politically motivated charges.

    The government has rejected accusations it has kidnapped and tortured opposition members and says security forces only detain people based on legitimate suspicions a crime has been committed.

    “We are fighting for a better Uganda, we are fighting for the farmers…for the young graduates who have no jobs, we are fighting for the ghetto people, those ghetto youth whose future is being stolen,” Wine said.

    Nicknamed “Ghetto President” for his popularity in a large ghetto in the capital and where his music career initially took off in early 2000s, Wine says he is best placed to address the needs of Uganda’s large youth population since he is one of them.

  • Museveni Cleared To Seek Re-Election, Eyes Near Half-Century Rule

    Museveni Cleared To Seek Re-Election, Eyes Near Half-Century Rule

    Uganda’s Electoral Commission on Tuesday cleared octogenarian President Yoweri Museveni to seek reelection in polls due to be held early next year, which could extend his rule in the East African nation to nearly half a century.

    A former rebel, Museveni has been credited with stabilising Uganda, promoting economic growth, and combating HIV/AIDS. But critics denounce his government’s suppression of political opponents, human rights abuses and corruption scandals.

    After seizing power in 1986, Museveni said the problem facing Africa was not its people but “leaders who want to overstay in power”.

    Now Africa’s fourth longest-ruling leader, Museveni and his government have amended the constitution twice to remove age and term limits, allowing him to remain in office.

    The 2026 election is expected to once again pit the 81-year-old incumbent against his chief rival Bobi Wine, 43, a singer who has leveraged his pop stardom to galvanise a large support base among young voters.

    Museveni defeated Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, in 2021 by a wide margin, though Wine said his victory was stolen through ballot stuffing, intimidation by security forces and other irregularities.

    Museveni’s was the first candidacy to be cleared by the elections body, which is charged with evaluating whether those seeking office meet legal requirements. It is expected to assess Wine’s candidacy on Wednesday.

    At a press conference on Tuesday, Museveni said another five-year term in office would allow him to prioritise restoring public safety, fixing transportation infrastructure, and expanding health care and free education.

    “There’s a bit of crime and impunity,” he said, referring to public concerns about a wave of crime in urban areas. His governing National Resistance Movement party would also work on “getting rid of corruption,” he said.

    Museveni’s government is eyeing an economic boom when the country begins shipping crude oil next year, with growth seen leaping to double digits next financial year.

    The president’s opponents have long accused him of using state patronage and the military to maintain his grip on power, and of using kidnappings and torture against adversaries, claims he denies.

    In May, Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also Museveni’s son, admitted to holding a missing opposition activist in his basement while threatening that Wine would be next.

  • Uganda Army Chief Threatens Deportation of Voters Who Don’t Choose His Father

    Uganda Army Chief Threatens Deportation of Voters Who Don’t Choose His Father

    General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, has ignited a firestorm of controversy with threats to deport citizens who vote against his father in the upcoming January 2026 general election.

    In a series of inflammatory posts on X, Kainerugaba warned that those who fail to “support Mzee wholeheartedly” referring to Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986 would be deemed “traitors” and face deportation.

    The remarks have drawn widespread condemnation, raising fears of escalating authoritarianism as the country braces for a contentious election.

    Kainerugaba, widely seen as being groomed to succeed his 80-year-old father, posted on Thursday, “We will deport all the traitors in public view!!”

    The threat was coupled with other provocative statements, including a decree banning women in the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) from wearing trousers, insisting they march in skirts instead.

    “Trousers are for men not for women,” he wrote, adding that anyone forcing female soldiers to wear trousers would “have a very bad day.”

    The remarks come amid a mounting crackdown on opposition figures, with the election less than a year away.

    Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, condemned Kainerugaba’s statements as evidence of “how law and order has broken down in Uganda.”

    Bobi Wine
    Bobi Wine

    Wine, who plans to run for president again in 2026, has faced repeated harassment, including the recent abduction and alleged torture of his chief bodyguard, Eddie Mutwe, which Kainerugaba claimed responsibility for in earlier X posts.

    Mutwe, an activist with Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP), was seized near Kampala on April 27, 2025, by armed men.

    Kainerugaba boasted on X that Mutwe was held in his “basement” and subjected to beatings, even alluding to further violence.

    Uganda’s justice minister later confirmed Mutwe showed signs of torture when he appeared in court, prompting the Uganda Human Rights Commission to issue a release order.

    The incident has fueled accusations that Museveni is using his son to suppress dissent.

    Kainerugaba’s deportation threat has raised alarm both domestically and internationally.

    Kainerugaba’s history of incendiary social media posts has repeatedly stirred controversy.

    In January 2025, he threatened to behead Bobi Wine, and in 2022, he prompted a diplomatic spat by threatening to invade Kenya, forcing President Museveni to issue an apology.

    The deportation threat has also sparked confusion, as Uganda lacks a clear policy for deporting its own citizens.

    As the 2026 election approaches, the spotlight is on Museveni’s government to ensure a free and fair process.

    Bobi Wine, speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, criticized Western nations for their muted response to Uganda’s “gross human rights violations” and vowed to continue his campaign despite the risks. “If I am still alive and not in jail, I will run,” he said.

    For now, Kainerugaba’s threats have cast a shadow over Uganda’s democratic prospects, with many fearing that the military’s influence will only grow.

  • Presidents from war-torn countries in Kampala for Museveni oath

    Presidents from war-torn countries in Kampala for Museveni oath

    Somalian president Mohamed Fermaajo and his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir are spending the night in Kampala ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of President Yoweri Museveni scheduled for May 12 2021.

    Museveni will be taking an oath for his sixth term in office after suppressing his opponent to win the shady elections held on January 14 2021. The long serving leader of Uganda was announced the winner by the country’s electoral body after he purportedly garnered 5.85 million votes against Robert Kyagulanyi’s 3.48 million votes.

    Media outlets in Uganda have reported that some eleven heads of states are expected including Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta are expected to attend the fete that will mark another fresh term for the dictator who has ruled since 1986.

    Only the two President from the countries which have not seen stability and democratic elections in decades are already in Kampala for the event that will be skipped by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

    Fermaajo who rules Somalia which has been in war since 1990 recently had to climb down from his previous stance in which he defended the decision to extend his term by two years after public and opposition outcry.

    Fermaajo is also believed to have backed from the dictatorial move to extend his term after his allies including the federal states of Galmudug, Hirshabelle and South West shifted allegiance and demanded an immediate election to resolve the impasse. Opposition camps like National Salvation Forum was also piling pressure on him to reverse the move.

    Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, R, and his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir in a past courtesy photo.

    President Fermaajo is also at conflicts with his Kenyan counterpart, Mr Kenyatta, after their countries were engaged in a dispute over the maritime boundaries for years. Mogadishu further accused Nairobi of meddling in her internal affairs leading to call up of their respective ambassadors last December.

    The two countries mended their diplomatic ties last week but the pact was today dealt a blow after Kenya suspended all flights to and from Somalia with immediate effect.

    South Sudan’s Salva Kiir also flew to Kampala on Tuesday, barely 24 hours after reconstituting parliament he dissolved two days ago. The move made on Monday night will now pave way for the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Legislative Assembly as stipulated in the 2018 peace agreement he signed with his former foe, Riek Machar.

    Through a presidential decree read on state-run television, South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, Kiir appointed 550 lawmakers from all parties that signed the revitalized peace accord.

    Machar was was sworn into office in February 2020 to mark an end to their rivalry after the two leaders of the young nation fell out in 2013 leading to a conflict that claimed more that 4,00 lives and displaced millions.

    In 2016, a report commissioned by American Actor George Clooney showed that Kiir, Machar and high ranking military generals heavily profited from the war.

    Also in Kampala ahead of the ceremony is the Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, Sudanese vice president Malik Agar Eyr, South Africa’s minister of international relations and cooperation Naledi Pandor, and the executive secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), João Samuel Caholo who landed in Kampala on Tuesday afternoon.

    The ceremony will be boycotted by the opposition who accused Museveni of using the state machinery to rig the January elections. On Monday night, Opposition leader, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine and former presidential aspirant Kizza Besigye tweeted that their homes were surrounded by police.  Besigye has also critized african leaders for attending Museveni’s oath taking bash.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Police surrounds Wine, Besigye homes ahead of Museveni oath

    Police surrounds Wine, Besigye homes ahead of Museveni oath

    Police in Uganda have surrounded the homes of the opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu popularly known as Bobi  Wine and that of the former presidential aspirant Kizza Besigye as the country prepares to swear in President Yoweri Museveni for a sixth term tomorrow.

    Museveni won the flawed elections in January 2021 after the country’s electoral commission dismissed all the allegations of vote rigging and intimidation claims made by opposition candidate Bobi Wine.

    Wine and Besigye  took to  their Twitter handles on Monday night where they expressed concerns over heavy police presence around their homes. The two including their supporters have been harassment by law enforcement officers for challenging Museveni’s long dictatorial rule.

    Bobi Wine, a pop star turned politician termed Museveni’s action as “cowardly” as Besigye maintains that Museveni’s swearing-in for the sixth time is “illegal”.

    But Uganda’s National Army Deputy Spokesperson, Deo Akiiki, defended the heavy deployment of police as a move to avert possible chaos during the swearing in ceremony.

    “With credible evidence from intelligence, we shall not hesitate to arrest more of these schemers as and when we detect,” said Akiiki.

    The long serving president has always ensured that his inaugurations are marred by heavy security presence especially in urban areas and their surroundings.

    Ugandan media has reported that close to 4,000 people, including 11 Heads of State, have been invited to Museveni’s oath taking which will be held at the Kololo Grounds in the capital Kampala.

    Museveni grabbed  power in 1986 after overthrowing General Tito Okello, who had only ruled the country for 181 days but since then he [Museveni] has rigged and ‘won’ all presidential elections in Uganda.

    He got 5.85 million votes which represents 58.64 % of the total votes cast in the January 14, 2021 presidential election, while his closest challenger, Wine, got 3.48 million votes (34.83 %). But Bobi Wine said the results were doctored to hand Museveni an illegitimate win.

    Election monitors also reported that the confidence in the count was damaged by a three-day internet outage and dozens of people who were killed during violence in the run-up to the election.

    But opposition politicians including Besigye who unsuccessfully challenged Museveni in three elections have always been harassed by Museveni’s officers. He wondered why the state deployed police to his home yet he was out of the country.