Ugandan opposition leader and musician Bobi Wine has confirmed he will stand in the upcoming presidential election, pledging to challenge President Yoweri Museveni once again while criticising Western powers for turning a blind eye to alleged human rights abuses in the country. The election is scheduled for January, and Museveni, 80, is widely expected to seek another term in office.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, told Reuters in an interview on Friday, “Yeah, I’ve expressed my availability on behalf of my team.” He described the election as more than just a political contest, calling it “a fighting opportunity to further undress and expose the regime and to further galvanise the people of Uganda to rise up and free themselves.”
Wine previously ran against Museveni in 2021, finishing second but refusing to accept the results. He alleged that the vote had been marred by ballot stuffing, falsification, and intimidation of voters by security forces. Those claims were denied by both government and electoral authorities.

The 43-year-old opposition figure also criticised Western governments for what he described as their silence over worsening abuses in Uganda. He pointed to alleged abductions, unlawful detentions, and torture of his supporters and political allies, although he did not name any specific countries in his rebuke. “Some leaders in the West are complicit in our suffering. They are here to crack their (business) deals and they don’t care about human rights,” he said. “If they were standing for the values that they profess, then they would be castigating all these gross human rights violations.”
Uganda is regarded by Western powers as a strategic ally in counterterrorism efforts, notably for its military involvement in Somalia. However, mounting reports of abuse are casting a shadow over this partnership.
One recent incident involves Eddie Mutwe, an activist in Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) and his personal bodyguard, who was reported missing for a week before appearing in court on Monday. Mutwe was charged with robbery and remanded. Uganda’s justice minister acknowledged this week that Mutwe appears to have been tortured in detention. President Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who heads the military, is reported to have admitted keeping Mutwe in his basement and using him as a “punching bag”.
Wine stated that Mutwe had described being electrocuted, waterboarded, and beaten. Uganda’s police spokesperson did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment, nor did the military respond to questions directed at Kainerugaba.
If elected, Wine said his top priorities would include restoring political and civil freedoms and tackling entrenched corruption.