Ugandan opposition figure and musician Bobi Wine has announced his intention to run for president again, while sharply criticising Western nations for their silence on what he described as widespread human rights abuses in Uganda.
Wine, 43, whose birth name is Robert Kyagulanyi, confirmed his candidacy in an interview with Reuters on Friday, stating he would again challenge President Yoweri Museveni, 80, who is expected to seek another term in office.
“Yeah, I’ve expressed my availability on behalf of my team,” Wine said, when asked about participating in Uganda’s next presidential election, scheduled for January.
He described his candidacy not just as a political move, but as part of a broader campaign to highlight systemic abuses and mobilize Ugandans against entrenched authoritarian rule.
“Participation in the election,” he said, “will also be a fighting opportunity to further undress and expose the regime and to further galvanise the people of Uganda to rise up and free themselves.”
Wine finished second in the 2021 presidential election but rejected the outcome, alleging widespread irregularities, including ballot stuffing, falsified results, physical assaults, and voter intimidation. These claims were denied by government and electoral officials at the time.
During the interview, Wine also accused Western governments of enabling repression in Uganda by prioritizing their strategic interests over democratic principles.
“Some leaders in the West are complicit in our suffering. They are here to crack their (business) deals and they don’t care about human rights,” he said.
“If they were standing for the values that they profess, then they would be castigating all these gross human rights violations.”
Uganda is viewed by several Western governments as a strategic partner in regional security, particularly for its military contributions to peacekeeping missions in Somalia.
Wine further raised concerns about the recent treatment of his personal bodyguard and party activist Eddie Mutwe, a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP). Mutwe was reported missing for a week before appearing in court on Monday, charged with robbery and remanded in custody. The justice minister acknowledged signs that Mutwe had been tortured during detention.
Museveni’s son and commander of the military, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, reportedly claimed he had detained Mutwe in his basement and used him as a “punching bag.”
Wine recounted that Mutwe told him he had been subjected to electrocution, waterboarding, and beatings while in captivity.
Police spokesman Rusoke Kituma and a spokesperson for the Ugandan Defence Forces did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the allegations involving Kainerugaba.
If elected, Wine said his administration would focus on restoring political and civil liberties and tackling widespread corruption.
