Uganda’s army hunt for opposition leader Bobi Wine

In a recent video shared from hiding, the Ugandan opposition leader walks in a family graveyard in central Uganda, taunting the army chief who has failed to find him and lamenting what he calls the injustice that has befallen him.

The 43-year-old musician-turned-politician has been evading a military hunt for over a week, infuriating Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the army chief and President’s son, in what has become a very public rivalry.

Wine went into hiding shortly after Uganda’s disputed presidential election on January 15. An internet shutdown marred the vote, and the failure of biometric voter identification kits meant to prevent ballot stuffing.

Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has rejected the official results, which show President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term with 71.6 per cent of the vote.

He has urged his followers to do whatever is legally possible to show the government has weaknesses despite the massive military presence that accompanied the election.

Ugandan soldiers raided Wine’s house the day after the January 15 vote, but the opposition leader had already gone into hiding, fearing for his life after campaigning for weeks in a helmet and flak jacket at rallies where security forces were a constant presence.

Wine said his ability to evade the army shows that the government is not as strong as it appears.

“The whole army is looking for one person. It’s now coming to 10 days, but they have failed to find me,” Wine said in a video posted on X last Monday. “That means they are not as strong as they tell you.” — Africanews/A