Uganda Opposition Leader Says Soldiers Assaulted His Wife During Home Raid

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said on Saturday that his wife was hospitalized after soldiers raided their residence in Kampala, assaulted her, and demanded information about his whereabouts.

The incident comes amid escalating tensions following Uganda’s disputed January 15 presidential election, in which long-serving President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner.

Wine, who rejected the results and alleged widespread fraud, said he was not at home during the overnight raid and remains in hiding after escaping an earlier operation against him last week.

According to Wine, soldiers broke into the family home in the Magere suburb north of the capital, beat staff members, and searched the property.

Raid and Assault

Wine said soldiers held his wife, Barbara Kyagulanyi, at gunpoint and attempted to force her to unlock her phone to reveal his location.

"They grabbed my wife's phone, forced her to sit down, and ordered her to remove her password. She refused. They strangled her and insulted her," Wine said.

He added that soldiers partially undressed her, took photographs, and later rushed her to hospital, where she remains admitted.

Wine also alleged that money, documents, and electronic devices were taken from the residence.

Ugandan military spokesperson Chris Magezi could not immediately be reached for comment on the accusations.

Post-Election Escalation

Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for four decades, was declared the winner with more than 71 percent of the vote, while Wine received about 24 percent.

Wine and his supporters have rejected the outcome, citing ballot stuffing, repression, and the use of security forces against the opposition.

The army chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also Museveni’s son, has publicly demanded Wine surrender to police and warned he would be treated as a rebel.

Kainerugaba has also claimed that security forces killed 30 supporters of Wine’s National Unity Platform and detained more than 2,000 others.

Wine has not been charged with any crime.

International concern has grown, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the European Union expressing alarm over post-election violence, arrests, and threats targeting opposition figures.

Rights groups and critics have long accused Museveni of relying on military force to maintain power, accusations his government denies.