Uganda’s Bobi Wine Vows Mass Protests Ahead of Election
Wine, head of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and Museveni’s main challenger, told AFP on Monday, “I know that General Museveni’s government responds to everything with violence... But I also know that even violent regimes get thrown out by protests.”
The 43-year-old former singer narrowly lost to Museveni in the disputed 2021 election, claiming 35% of the vote to the incumbent’s 59%. Wine and other opposition figures rejected the results, alleging widespread voter suppression and election manipulation—claims the government denied. Following the vote, Wine was placed under house arrest over national security concerns amid unrest.
Uganda’s election commission reports that roughly 21.6 million voters are registered for the 2026 poll, with eight candidates in the race, including Wine and Museveni, who has ruled the country since 1986.
Opposition figures continue to face government pressure. Kizza Besigye, a prominent critic, has been detained on treason charges since his arrest in Kenya in November 2024. Last month, human rights activist and government critic Sarah Bireete was also arrested ahead of the January 15 vote. Civil society groups, including Chapter Four Uganda and the Human Rights Network for Journalists, have been suspended—a move Wine described as an attempt to silence critical voices.
The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, urged Ugandan authorities on Friday to allow “unfettered participation in the election” and warned against the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters.
On Monday, the country’s election authority met with a delegation from a joint observer mission representing regional blocs, briefing them on its efforts to ensure a “transparent, credible, and peaceful electoral process.”
Meanwhile, in a post on X on Tuesday, President Museveni, seeking a seventh term, cautioned supporters not to be “intimidated” by “threats of violence” from the opposition. He added, “Anyone who attempts to disrupt our peace will be dealt with firmly. Peace is guaranteed.”
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