Ugandan opposition leader and musician Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has declared his intention to contest the presidency once again, reigniting his political challenge to President Yoweri Museveni ahead of the country’s 2026 general elections.
Speaking from Nairobi on Friday, Wine said his decision is not only a bid for leadership but a broader strategy to expose what he described as deepening authoritarianism in Uganda. “I’ve expressed my availability on behalf of my team,” he said in an interview with Reuters. “Participation in the election will also be a fighting opportunity to further undress and expose the regime and to galvanise Ugandans to rise up and free themselves.”
Wine, 43, finished second in the 2021 election but rejected the results, citing electoral fraud, ballot stuffing, intimidation by security forces, and other irregularities. His allegations were dismissed by the government and electoral commission.
As the country gears up for the next election in January 2026, Wine also used the opportunity to criticise Western governments for their muted response to what he described as “gross human rights violations,” including torture, illegal detentions, and abductions of his supporters. “Some leaders in the West are complicit in our suffering,” Wine said. “They’re here to make business deals, and they don’t care about human rights.”
Although he did not name specific countries, Wine questioned the integrity of Western powers who, in his view, turn a blind eye to abuses while promoting democratic values elsewhere. “If they stood by the values they profess, they would be condemning these violations,” he added.
Uganda, seen as a regional security partner by Western governments, particularly for its military involvement in Somalia, has faced growing scrutiny over its human rights record. This week, fresh concerns were raised after the emergence of reports that Eddie Mutwe, a key figure in Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party and his personal bodyguard, had been tortured during detention.
Justice Minister Norbert Mao acknowledged the abuse allegations, stating that Mutwe appeared to have been tortured in captivity. Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who leads the military, claimed on social media to have kept Mutwe in his basement and used him as a punching bag.
Mutwe, who was missing for a week, was brought to court on Monday, charged with robbery, and remanded in custody. According to Wine, Mutwe disclosed that he had been electrocuted, waterboarded, and severely beaten while in detention.
Efforts to obtain comments from Uganda’s police and defence officials, including Kainerugaba, were unsuccessful as of the time of publication.
Wine said that if elected, his administration would prioritise restoring civil liberties, strengthening political freedoms, and launching a full-scale anti-corruption campaign.
