Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says his wife was seriously injured during a violent military raid on their home. The attack took place while Wine was in hiding after challenging the results of Uganda’s January 15 presidential election.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said in a social media post that “hundreds of soldiers” stormed his house in his absence, looted property, and physically assaulted his wife. “They put my wife on gunpoint, asking her to reveal my whereabouts. They strangled her and insulted her,” he wrote.
She was rushed to the hospital, where she is reportedly receiving treatment for both physical and psychological trauma.
The January election returned President Yoweri Museveni to office for a seventh term, with 71.65% of the vote, while Wine, a 43-year-old former musician turned politician, won 24.72%.
Wine has called the vote a “blatant theft,” and observers and NGOs criticized the election for internet blackouts and suppression of opposition activity.
Wine’s lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, appealed to the United Nations and the international community for guarantees of Wine’s safety. “Mr. Wine has committed no crime. His only offense is exposing, once again, the brutal and dictatorial nature of President Museveni’s rule, through peaceful political opposition,” Amsterdam said.
Tensions have escalated following threats by Museveni’s son and army chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who posted on social media that Wine would be hunted down, a post that was later deleted. Kainerugaba also claimed that the army had targeted members of Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP), arresting over 2,000 people he called “hooligans.”
International actors have expressed concern.The European Union criticized pre- and post-election violence, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is monitoring reports of arrests, detentions, and attacks against opposition figures.
