Bobi Wine Says He Has Fled Uganda Amid Alleged Military Manhunt

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine speaking at a rally

Bobi Wine has announced that he has left Uganda, saying he fled the country to escape what he described as a military-led manhunt following January’s disputed presidential election. In a video posted on the social media platform X on Saturday, Wine said he had been in hiding for weeks after security forces allegedly raided his home shortly after the January 15 vote.

“By the time you see this video I will have left the country,” Wine said in the recording, appearing unshaven and speaking from an undisclosed location.

He thanked supporters who he said had helped conceal and protect him while he remained in hiding.

“I thank all the brave Ugandans who concealed and protected me during this difficult time,” he said, adding that he would return to the country “at the right time.” Wine did not reveal where he had travelled.

The opposition leader said the search for him had intensified in recent weeks. According to reports, the effort has been led by Muhoozi Kainerugaba, a senior military officer widely viewed as a potential successor to the country’s longtime leader. Kainerugaba has posted several messages on X targeting Wine, referring to him with insults and accusing him of criminal activity. While the Ugandan police have publicly stated that they are not seeking the opposition politician, Kainerugaba has suggested that Wine could face arrest over unspecified offences.

Wine contested the presidential election against Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country since 1986. Official results released by the country’s electoral authorities gave Museveni 71.6 percent of the vote. Wine and his supporters rejected the outcome, alleging widespread irregularities and voter intimidation during the election process. The opposition leader has repeatedly called for independent investigations into the vote. Museveni, who is now 81 years old, is expected to be sworn in for a seventh term in office in May.

Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, rose to political prominence after building a large following as a musician before entering politics. Over the past several years, he has become a key figure in Uganda’s opposition movement, particularly among younger voters frustrated by unemployment, corruption, and a lack of political change. His supporters see him as a symbol of generational transition in a country where Museveni has been in power for nearly four decades. Wine’s announcement that he has fled Uganda has raised fresh concerns among activists and political observers about the safety of opposition figures and the broader political climate following the contested election.

Bobi Wine exile