Bobi Wine announced Saturday that he has left the country after evading a military raid on his home a day after the disputed January 15 presidential election, where President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner with 72% of the vote amid opposition claims of rigging and violence.
The 43-year-old whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi credited everyday Ugandans for protecting him despite roadblocks and searches, calling it ‘laughable’ that security forces failed to find him.
He described his departure as brief, planning to rally international allies for sanctions on Museveni’s enablers while naming NUP deputy Dr Lina Zedriga Waru as acting president and vowing to return.
“Today, I am announcing my brief exit from the country to handle important work. Over the next few weeks, I will engage with our friends and allies all over the world before returning to Uganda to continue the push for freedom and democracy! For now, let’s remain focused and united,” Bobi Wine said.
President Museveni was declared winner of the January polls with 7,946,772 votes, representing 71.65 per cent of the valid votes cast, stretching his rule beyond four decades.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUjDKZ5DdSc
Mr Kyagulanyi finished second with 2,741,238 votes (24.72 per cent).
The musician turned politician, however, publicly rejected the results, describing them as “fake” and “fabricated.”
Since evading a military raid on his, Mr Kyagulanyi has remained underground. He recently stated that his wife, Barbara Itungo, and other family members had successfully fled Uganda after she was reportedly assaulted by military forces during another violent raid on their residence on January 23, 2026.
While he maintains he has “video proof” of widespread fraud, Mr Kyagulanyi, whose whereabouts remain unknown, declined to challenge the outcome in the Supreme Court, citing a complete lack of trust in the judiciary.