The military last night raided the home of former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, barely ten days after he lost the presidential election. The raid was confirmed by Kyagulanyi himself.
The incident comes amid reports that Kyagulanyi had gone into hiding for fear of arrest following the elections. He lost the January 15 poll to incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, who secured 71 percent of the total votes cast. Museveni polled 7,946,772 votes, while Kyagulanyi came second with 2,741,238 votes.
Since polling day, Kyagulanyi’s residence in Magere has allegedly been under siege, with military personnel controlling access to the property. Despite uncertainty surrounding his whereabouts, the former MP has continued to speak to international media following the election.
According to Kyagulanyi, hundreds of soldiers descended on his home late last night. He said many were dressed in Special Forces Command (SFC) uniforms, others in regular Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) attire, while some were in plain clothes.
“They came with ladders, ready to climb upstairs. They broke our doors and forced themselves into our house. Using hammers, they hit walls, window glass, and doors,” Kyagulanyi said.
“They put my wife at gunpoint, demanding that she reveal my whereabouts. They stole money, numerous valuable documents, and all electronic gadgets. They took phones, laptops, chargers, our internet system, our CCTV system, speakers—any electronic gadget they could lay their criminal hands on,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Kyagulanyi said the intruders searched every part of the house, including the ceiling, leaving extensive damage. He alleged that his wife was forced to sit down and ordered to unlock her phone.
“She refused. They strangled her and insulted her. Speaking Runyankore, they asked why she would marry a Muganda and why we would dare challenge Museveni,” he said.
He further claimed that the soldiers assaulted the family’s security guard and housemaid, demanding that they reveal the location of a basement where they believed Kyagulanyi was hiding. He said the attackers also asked about the whereabouts of his children.
“My wife was rushed to hospital, where she remains admitted, dealing with both physical and psychological trauma,” Kyagulanyi said.
Authorities had not yet issued an official statement regarding the alleged raid by the time of publication.
