Keypoints:
- Bobi Wine confirms second presidential run
- Accuses West of ignoring human rights abuses
- Claims aide was tortured in detention
UGANDAN opposition leader and former pop star Bobi Wine has announced his candidacy for the country’s 2026 presidential election, confirming plans to once again challenge long-standing President Yoweri Museveni. Speaking to Reuters on Friday, Wine accused the West of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in Uganda and failing to stand up for democratic values.
‘Yeah, I’ve expressed my availability on behalf of my team,’ Wine — whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi — told Reuters. He added that contesting the election would be more than a campaign, calling it ‘a fighting opportunity to further undress and expose the regime, and to galvanise the people of Uganda to rise up and free themselves.’
Wine, 43, was runner-up in the 2021 election but rejected the outcome, citing widespread electoral fraud, violence, and voter intimidation. Authorities denied those claims.
Western complicity in focus
The National Unity Platform (NUP) leader sharply criticised Western governments for their perceived silence on growing repression in Uganda.
‘Some leaders in the West are complicit in our suffering,’ he said. ‘They are here to crack their deals and they don’t care about human rights. If they were standing for the values that they profess, then they would be castigating all these gross human rights violations.’
Although he did not name individual countries, Wine’s comments reflect growing frustration among opposition leaders over international partnerships that overlook internal abuses in favour of security and economic interests.
Uganda is seen as a key regional ally in the fight against jihadist groups and has contributed troops to peacekeeping operations in Somalia — factors that many analysts believe shield it from stronger international censure.
Allegations of torture and intimidation
Wine also described the recent detention and alleged torture of his aide and bodyguard, Eddie Mutwe, who had been missing for a week before being brought to court on robbery charges. Uganda’s justice minister acknowledged this week that Mutwe appeared to have been tortured in custody.
In a chilling development, Museveni’s son and military commander, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, claimed he had kept Mutwe in his basement and used him as a ‘punching bag.’
Wine said Mutwe later told him he had been electrocuted, waterboarded and beaten. Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituma and a spokesperson for Uganda’s defence forces did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
A new campaign for civil rights
If elected, Wine said his priorities would include restoring civil and political freedoms and launching a broad anti-corruption drive. His message centres on reclaiming the rule of law and returning government institutions to public accountability.
President Museveni, now 80, has been in power since 1986 and is widely expected to seek re-election. Critics accuse his government of eroding democratic institutions and stifling dissent through surveillance, intimidation, and politically motivated prosecutions.
Wine warned that the 2026 election could face the same manipulation and violence that has marred past contests. But he insisted the answer lies in mass mobilisation.
‘The only way we can overcome Ruto’s manipulation of the electoral system is to have a flood of votes — overwhelming numbers which no amount of manipulation can work on,’ he said.
