By Desmond Nleya
The wife of Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has spoken out from her hospital bed in Kampala, alleging that soldiers raided their home overnight, assaulted her, and searched for her husband following last week’s disputed presidential election.
Barbra Itungo Kyagulanyi told journalists that armed soldiers stormed the family residence while Bobi Wine was not present, accusing them of tracking his phone signal to the house. She said the phone had been left behind after she briefly switched it on while searching for a password.
“They believed my husband was home because his phone was here,” Kyagulanyi said. “But he had already left it behind.”
She described being held at gunpoint, strangled, and physically assaulted as soldiers demanded information about Wine’s whereabouts. According to Kyagulanyi, she was beaten, slammed against a pole, injured in the mouth, and pinned to the ground by several men who continued to demand access to her husband’s phone.
“They sat on me, four of them, and asked for the password,” she said. “I told them they had already done enough, and they were not getting it.”
Bobi Wine later confirmed the raid in a post on X, claiming that “hundreds of soldiers” invaded his home, looted property, and assaulted his wife. He accused the security forces of attempting to force Kyagulanyi to reveal his location.
Wine has been in hiding since the presidential election, which saw long-time leader Yoweri Museveni declared the winner of a seventh term. Wine and his supporters have rejected the outcome, calling it “blatant theft.”
The post-election period has been marked by a severe security crackdown. Uganda’s army chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba — Museveni’s son — has publicly threatened Wine, vowing to hunt him down. In a series of posts on X, Kainerugaba claimed that at least 30 opposition supporters had been killed and more than 2,000 arrested since the election.
“We have arrested more than 2,000 thugs,” Kainerugaba wrote, referring to Wine by a nickname. He also described members of Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) as “terrorists.”
Police have also detained senior NUP figures. On Thursday, authorities arrested Muwanga Kivumbi, a lawmaker and deputy president of the party, accusing him of involvement in election-related violence in central Uganda that reportedly left seven people dead. Police say he is expected to face criminal charges.
Wine’s legal team has urged the United Nations and the international community to demand immediate and verifiable guarantees for his safety, warning that his life is at risk if he attempts to return home.
International observers say the election was undermined by widespread repression, including an internet shutdown lasting several days and the targeting of opposition supporters.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said he is monitoring the situation in Uganda with deep concern.
