Keypoints:
- Minister says raid was ‘wrong’ and promises probe
- Army still says it is searching for Wine
- Government rejects Somalia troop withdrawal
UGANDA’S information minister has publicly rebuked the military over a raid on opposition leader Bobi Wine’s home, saying the pop star-turned-politician had committed no crime and should be free to return to his residence.
The rare civilian criticism of the army deepens tensions after January’s disputed presidential election, with Wine in hiding, the military still searching for him, and a parallel dispute unfolding over Uganda’s troop deployment to Somalia.
Speaking to Reuters, Chris Baryomunsi — who also serves as government spokesperson — said the January 24 incursion into Wine’s Kampala residence crossed a line and would be investigated by state authorities.
Wine, legally known as Robert Kyagulanyi, fled his home hours before the Electoral Commission declared President Yoweri Museveni the winner of the January 15, 2025 election. He has rejected the result as fraudulent, a charge the government denies.
What happened at the residence
On January 24, Wine said soldiers stormed his house and that his wife, Barbie Kyagulanyi, was taken to hospital after being partially undressed and choked. The claims triggered condemnation from rights groups and renewed accusations that Uganda’s security forces act with impunity.
Army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba — Museveni’s son — initially denied that soldiers assaulted Wine’s wife. He later wrote on X that troops had ‘captured and then released’ her, a statement that intensified scrutiny of the operation.
Baryomunsi distanced the civilian government from the soldiers’ conduct.
‘We do not condone any acts of indiscipline on the side of the army and security forces,’ he told Reuters. ‘Invading his home, causing damage, assaulting his wife, or anybody, is wrong.’
He declined to confirm whether officers would face sanctions if the investigation finds wrongdoing, saying due process must run its course.
Wine’s National Unity Platform party did not respond to calls or messages seeking comment.
Army still searching for Wine
Kainerugaba has repeatedly said on social media that the military is looking for Wine, but has not clarified what offence — if any — he is suspected of committing or whether formal charges are being prepared.
Rights organisations and opposition figures have long accused Museveni’s government, in power for four decades, of deploying the military to suppress dissent — allegations ministers consistently reject.
For now, Wine remains in hiding, while his supporters say the continuing manhunt reinforces fears of political persecution rather than legitimate law enforcement.
Somalia deployment dispute
In a separate development, Baryomunsi rejected suggestions that Uganda plans to withdraw its troops from the African Union mission fighting jihadist militants in Somalia.
His comments contradicted a recent post by Kainerugaba, who threatened to pull Ugandan forces out over financing disputes.
‘Those are casual comments that do not reflect state policy or state decisions,’ Baryomunsi said, stressing that Kampala remains committed to the regional security operation.
Uganda is among the largest contributors to the AU mission, which has battled al-Shabaab for more than a decade.
A pattern of controversy
Kainerugaba has a history of provocative social media posts, many of which he later deletes. He has previously threatened to behead Wine and boasted that the army killed 30 opposition supporters — remarks that drew domestic and international backlash.
Baryomunsi’s intervention marks one of the clearest acknowledgements from the civilian government that the raid went too far, even as security agencies continue to treat Wine as a person of interest.
As Uganda moves further into its post-election period, the episode underscores the uneasy balance between military power, civilian authority and political dissent.
