Also known as: 43-year-old Bobi Wine
Ugandan opposition leader and singer-turned-politician who fled the country after disputing President Museveni's January 2026 election victory.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
The Namibian
Bobi Wine told the BBC he left Uganda after the election fearing for his life
“Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has told the BBC that he left the country after January's disputed election because he feared for his life.”
Ugandan opposition leader tells BBC he fled abroad fearing for his lifeThe Namibian
Bobi Wine said Museveni tried many times to have him killed
“He said Museveni had tried "many times" to have him killed and that the president's son had "made it clearer without any filters".”
Ugandan opposition leader tells BBC he fled abroad fearing for his lifeThe Namibian
Bobi Wine says he has left the country after two months in hiding
“Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says he has left the country after spending two months in hiding following January's disputed election.”
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine goes abroad after two months in hidingThe Namibian
Bobi Wine denies having broken the law
“He denies having broken the law, saying "running for president is not a crime".”
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine goes abroad after two months in hidingThe Namibian
Wine alleged that his wife was held at gunpoint and assaulted during military raid
“Wine, who is in hiding, alleged on Saturday that his wife was held at gunpoint by military officers who assaulted her, taking away documents and electronic items.”
Uganda's military chief denies army assaulted Bobi Wine's wifeThe Namibian
Bobi Wine has denounced election results as "fake", citing electoral fraud
“Wine, Museveni's closest challenger and who is in hiding after fleeing a raid on his house after the elections, has denounced the results as "fake", citing electoral fraud.”
Ugandan MP and Bobi Wine ally arrested over election violenceThe Namibian
Bobi Wine rejected the election results as 'fake'
“Wine rejected the results as "fake" and has gone into hiding citing threats against his life.”
Detained veteran Ugandan opposition figure critically ill in hospital, his party saysThe Namibian
Bobi Wine told the BBC from hiding he will not contest the results of Thursday's election in court
“Uganda's opposition leader Bobi Wine has told the BBC he will not contest the results of Thursday's election in court, citing a lack of confidence in the judiciary and has instead urged his supporters to take to the streets to peacefully protest.”
Bobi Wine tells the BBC from hiding he will not contest Uganda election results in courtThe Namibian
Wine maintains the results are 'fake' and has cited 'ballot stuffing'
“Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, maintains the results are "fake" and has cited "ballot stuffing" without providing any details.”
Bobi Wine tells the BBC from hiding he will not contest Uganda election results in courtThe Namibian
Bobi Wine has condemned what he described as "fake results" and "ballot stuffing"
“He gained 72% of the vote, the election commission has announced, against 25% for his closest challenger Bobi Wine, who has condemned what he has described as "fake results" and "ballot stuffing".”
Ugandan leader Museveni to extend 40-year rule after being declared winner of contested pollUgandan opposition politician Bobi Wine has told the BBC he left Uganda after January's disputed presidential election because he feared the government sought to eliminate him. Wine, whose party the National Unity Platform disputes President Yoweri Museveni's 72% election victory, said he spent two months in hiding sheltered by supporters before fleeing the country.
16 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Ugandan opposition politician Bobi Wine has told the BBC he left Uganda after January's disputed presidential election because he feared the government sought to eliminate him. Wine, whose party the National Unity Platform disputes President Yoweri Museveni's 72% election victory, said he spent two months in hiding sheltered by supporters before fleeing the country.
16 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says he has left the country after two months in hiding following January's disputed presidential election, claiming he won but the vote was rigged in favour of Museveni. Wine says he has gone abroad for "critical engagements" to mobilise the international community and calls for targeted sanctions against Museveni.
16 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Uganda's military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has denied claims that soldiers assaulted Barbara Kyagulanyi, wife of opposition leader Bobi Wine, during a raid on their home following Wine's rejection of President Yoweri Museveni's recent election victory. Kyagulanyi, who was hospitalized, described being held at gunpoint and physically assaulted by military officers searching for Wine's whereabouts.
27 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Muwanga Kivumbi, deputy leader of opposition leader Bobi Wine's National Unity Platform, has been detained by Ugandan police for alleged involvement in election-related violence following the party's electoral loss. The arrest follows tensions after last week's elections in which President Museveni was re-elected for a seventh term, with conflicting reports over death tolls and allegations of violence between authorities and opposition supporters.
23 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Kizza Besigye, a 69-year-old veteran Ugandan opposition politician detained since November 2024 on treason charges, was taken to a medical facility in Kampala with symptoms including acute stomach pain, high fever, and severe dehydration, his party says; prison authorities denied his condition was critical.
21 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine told the BBC from hiding that he will not contest President Yoweri Museveni's election victory in court, citing a captured judiciary, and has instead urged supporters to take to the streets in peaceful protest. Wine maintains the results are "fake" and alleged ballot stuffing, while Museveni won 72% of the vote to Wine's 25%, and security forces have intensified a crackdown with arrests and alleged killings of opposition supporters.
21 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has been declared winner of Thursday's election with 72% of the vote, extending his four decades in power by another five years. Opposition challenger Bobi Wine has condemned the result as "fake" and called for non-violent protests, while the election process was marked by violence, internet blackouts, and restrictions on Wine's movements.
18 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Uganda's police have denied allegations that presidential candidate Bobi Wine was abducted by helicopter on Friday during ongoing vote counting, saying his movements were restricted as his home is in a "security interest" area. Wine's party claimed a helicopter forcibly took him to an unknown location, though his son later said his father "escaped" while his mother remained under house arrest, amid confusion over his whereabouts and an internet blackout hampering information verification.
17 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Uganda's presidential election was hit by widespread delays as biometric voting machines malfunctioned and ballot boxes remained undelivered, compounded by an internet blackout imposed by the government. President Yoweri Museveni, seeking a seventh term, acknowledged problems casting his own vote, while opposition figures alleged the disruptions were deliberate attempts to undermine the poll.
16 January 2026 · New Era →
Uganda is counting votes in presidential and parliamentary elections while an internet shutdown is in effect and opposition leader Bobi Wine alleges massive ballot-stuffing and intimidation by security forces. Long delays caused by malfunctioning biometric machines, missing ballot materials, and other logistical problems have affected polling stations, with the presidential result due Saturday.
16 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Ugandans are voting in a presidential election between incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, seeking to extend his 40-year rule, and singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, who has promised to tackle corruption and impose reforms. The campaign has been marked by opposition harassment, internet blackouts, and heightened security in the capital, with analysts predicting Museveni will likely win given his success in six previous elections.
15 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Uganda's presidential election Thursday pits President Yoweri Museveni, 81 and in power for four decades, against Bobi Wine, a 43-year-old opposition leader backed by youth demanding change. In a country with a median age of 17, the contest reflects a fundamental tension between an aging political establishment and a youthful population demanding inclusion and meaningful participation.
14 January 2026 · The Namibian →
As Uganda votes Thursday on whether to give President Yoweri Museveni a seventh term, opposition leader Bobi Wine has turned the national flag into a symbol of resistance, with supporters waving it at rallies despite police warnings and government pressure. Analysts say Museveni, 81, is likely to win given his control of state apparatus, but Wine has framed the election as a protest vote and reclaimed patriotism through the flag as "the only weapon" his supporters have.
12 January 2026 · New Era →
Ugandans will vote on 15 January to choose between President Yoweri Museveni, seeking a seventh successive election victory after 40 years in power, and pop-star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, who is promising sweeping reforms. The election has been marked by opposition harassment and security force disruptions, with economic concerns and corruption dominating the campaign agenda.
11 January 2026 · The Namibian →
Amnesty International reported that Ugandan security forces have used torture and arbitrary arrests to intimidate opposition supporters ahead of 15 January elections, with documented cases of beating, pepper-spraying, and tasering; President Yoweri Museveni seeks to extend his 40-year rule amid fears the government may shut down the internet during voting.
6 January 2026 · New Era →