KAMPALA, Uganda — A new political confrontation has erupted in Uganda after General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni, issued a public ultimatum giving opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, widely known as Bobi Wine, 48 hours to surrender to police. The announcement triggered a sharp exchange between the two figures and heightened tensions in the country’s post-election period.
In a widely circulated online message, Gen. Muhoozi, the Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), said he was “giving [Bobi Wine] exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the Police,” adding that failure to comply would result in Wine being treated “as an outlaw or rebel.”
Gen. Muhoozi also sought to distance his father, stating: “I exonerate my great and venerable father from what I’m going to do to Kabobi (Bobi Wine).”
Hours later, Bobi Wine, leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and a key opposition candidate in Uganda’s January 15, 2026 elections, responded forcefully to the ultimatum. He accused security forces of raiding his home in Magere, a suburb of the capital Kampala, a claim that police have denied.
“You ordered the raid on my house to harm me,” Bobi Wine wrote on social media, asserting that he had “escaped” what he described as an attempt to capture him. He rejected earlier official denials that authorities were pursuing him, saying Gen. Muhoozi’s ultimatum contradicted those statements.
Bobi Wine also criticised the security establishment for what he called “atrocities against Ugandans,” and said he would “resurface” on his own terms.
“Anyway, I will resurface when I decide. Then you and your father can do whatever you want to me. But make no mistake – You will never escape the inevitable consequences of your atrocities against the people of Uganda. This is our country!,” he said.
The exchange follows Bobi Wine’s claims that military and police forces raided his residence overnight during the election period, cutting power and disabling some surveillance cameras.
In a statement issued on Saturday, January 17, he described the night operation as involving coordinated action by security personnel, including helicopters overhead.
“Last night (Friday night) was very difficult at our home in Magere. The military and police raided us. They switched off the power and cut off some of our CCTV cameras. There were helicopters hovering over,” Wine said.
He said he managed to escape the operation, but added that his wife and other family members remained confined at the residence.
“I want to confirm that I managed to escape. Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest,” he said, adding that security forces were “looking for me everywhere.”
Ugandan police have dismissed Bobi Wine’s claims, describing them as misleading.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Kituuma Rusoke said the allegations were “deceitful and incisive allegations intended to depict the security agencies as brutal and violators of the rights of a political candidate.”
Wine attributed widespread speculation about his whereabouts to a nationwide internet disruption and a heavy security presence around his home, circumstances he said led neighbours to believe he had been abducted.
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“Given the commotion that happened at our house at night, and given that no one is allowed to access the house, our neighbours concluded that they had succeeded in abducting us and spread the news,” he said. Wine also shared photos he said showed scenes from the raid, some taken Friday night and others on Saturday morning.
The incident has intensified political tensions in Uganda following the elections held on January 15, 2026.
While official results have yet to be fully certified at the time of writing, opposition parties and independent observers have reported a range of contested outcomes and procedural concerns.
The confrontation between Gen. Muhoozi and Bobi Wine points to deepening divisions within the country’s political landscape as the post‑election period continues to unfold.
