Uganda’s opposition leader claims that his wife was hospitalized after soldiers strangled her
Bobi Wine, the head of the opposition in Uganda, announced on Saturday that his wife had been hospitalized after troops broke into their home, partially stripped her, and strangled her.
Pop star-turned-politician Wine was not present at the location and is currently in hiding following his escape from a prior home search last week, just hours before he was declared the runner-up in the January 15 presidential election.
According to Wine’s post on X, soldiers broke down doors and beat up employees as they stormed the opposition leader’s house in the Magere area in Kampala’s north overnight into Saturday.
Chris Magezi, the Ugandan military spokeswoman, was not immediately available for comment.
Wine received 24% of the vote, while Yoweri Museveni, 81, the current dictator of four decades, received 71.6%. Alleging widespread fraud, including ballot stuffing, Wine rejected the findings.
According to Wine, the soldiers asked his wife, Barbara Kyagulanyi, to divulge his locations while they were holding her at gunpoint during the raid on the house. “They took my wife’s phone, made her sit down, and told her to change her password,” he added. She declined. “They insulted her and strangled her,” Wine claimed. “They took pictures and took her blouse by force. My wife was taken to the hospital and is still there.”
Museveni’s son, Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has threatened to kill Wine and threatened to treat him as a rebel unless he surrenders to the police.
Kainerugaba added on Friday that authorities had arrested 2,000 people and killed 30 members of Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP). Wine is not facing any criminal charges.
Wine claims that during the raid, other electronic devices, documents, and cash were also stolen.
Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, voiced his alarm on Thursday about the violence and detention of opposition leaders and sympathizers.
Critics from the opposition and rights organizations have long charged Museveni with utilizing the military to hold onto power. Officials from the ruling party refute the allegations, claiming that Museveni’s lengthy tenure is the result of widespread voter support.
