Uganda's opposition leader Bobi Wine remains in hiding nearly three weeks after fleeing his home amid claims of a night raid by the police and military. Wine, 43, had been the main challenger to President Yoweri Museveni in the disputed election, which he alleges was marred by mass fraud. The results of the vote confirmed Museveni's long-standing rule, sparking widespread protests and attacks on Wine's supporters.
Wine has taken to social media to taunt Museveni's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's military chief, over his failure to find him. In a recent video, Wine said he would resurface at an appropriate time, calling for the regime to peacefully relinquish power and let the people of Uganda decide their own destiny. The 27-year-old Kainerugaba has responded with threats, claiming Wine is wanted "dead or alive" and declaring that soldiers have already captured and released his wife.
The situation has raised concerns over Wine's safety, with lawyers and analysts warning that his statements could be used to justify real harm. A lawyer for Wine said Kainerugaba's threats materialized a risk of death or grievous bodily harm, citing Wine's previous torture at the hands of Ugandan security forces. The US embassy in Kampala has also been accused of helping Wine go into hiding.
The military chief's claims have sparked diplomatic tensions with the US embassy and other international bodies. Col Chris Magezi, acting spokesperson of the Uganda People's Defence Forces, denied the military was pursuing Wine, but analysts say Kainerugaba's statements should be taken seriously because they often translate threats into reality.
Wine has taken to social media to taunt Museveni's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's military chief, over his failure to find him. In a recent video, Wine said he would resurface at an appropriate time, calling for the regime to peacefully relinquish power and let the people of Uganda decide their own destiny. The 27-year-old Kainerugaba has responded with threats, claiming Wine is wanted "dead or alive" and declaring that soldiers have already captured and released his wife.
The situation has raised concerns over Wine's safety, with lawyers and analysts warning that his statements could be used to justify real harm. A lawyer for Wine said Kainerugaba's threats materialized a risk of death or grievous bodily harm, citing Wine's previous torture at the hands of Ugandan security forces. The US embassy in Kampala has also been accused of helping Wine go into hiding.
The military chief's claims have sparked diplomatic tensions with the US embassy and other international bodies. Col Chris Magezi, acting spokesperson of the Uganda People's Defence Forces, denied the military was pursuing Wine, but analysts say Kainerugaba's statements should be taken seriously because they often translate threats into reality.
did u no that uganda has been ranked 3rd lowest in african countries regarding press freedom since 2020? 
according to the africa press freedom index by reporters without borders, Uganda's president museveni has been in power for over 35 yrs & it's gettin crazy 
43 yrs old bobi wine is still tryna fight 4 democracy w/ no security guarantee 
meanwhile, his opponents like kainerugaba r getting threats & it's really scary 
did u see that chart from global conflict tracker showing the rise of violence against african journalists? 
bobi wine needs protection ASAP 
but let's be real, this is just a bunch of politicians playing dirty and putting people's lives at risk 
. I mean, where's the maturity in threatening someone's life for not giving up? And btw, if he really thinks he can outsmart the Ugandan security forces, good luck with that 
. The US embassy helping him hide is just a PR stunt to save face, mark my words 
. And what's with Kainerugaba's wife being released after being "captured" 
? Sounds like some kinda setup to me 
. Anyway, I'm rooting for Bobi Wine to come out and fight... with a lawyer and some good PR 
. On the other hand, Kainerugaba's statements have been viewed over 1 million times on social media 
.
, with 25 of them involving high-ranking officials 
.
. It's clear that this situation is getting out of control 
...
. It's refreshing to see someone stand up for their values like this. The fact that Muhoozi Kainerugaba is taking the bait just shows how much he's invested in maintaining the status quo, which isn't always a good sign 
. I'd love to see more Ugandans speaking out against the regime and demanding a better future for themselves. In all this drama, there's hope that people will come together and push for positive change 
the guy is literally 27 years old and has already got a military chief-level tantrum going on. and what's up with the US embassy getting involved? shouldn't they be like " chill, bobi, we gotchu"? 
anyway i'm just worried about Wine's safety at this point. it's not cool when people are making threats that could lead to real harm. can't Kainerugaba just take a deep breath and calm down for once? 
kaine's just declarin soldiers got wine's wife but really i think its all a big drama 
. I don't think Muhoozi Kainerugaba's threats are funny or cool, they sound super serious and scary 
I don't want anyone to get hurt in this situation... it's just not right 
. Can we just try to find a peaceful way out of all this, you know? 
what if kainerugaba really does try to hurt him? wine has been through hell before and now he's doing this? I don't know how much more stress his family can take 
The US embassy trying to help him out with their "diplomatic" efforts is also super concerning - is that just more interference or actually a genuine attempt to protect someone's life? 
.