The National Unity Platform has said its party leader and former presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, remains in hiding following what it describes as credible threats to his life by top military officials.
Speaking during NBS Frontline on Thursday, NUP Treasurer Counsel Benjamin Katana said Kyagulanyi opted to go into hiding after repeated threats allegedly issued by the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to locate and harm him.
“Kyagulanyi continues to live in hiding due to repeated threats issued by the Chief of Defence Forces to find and harm him,” Katana said.
He further alleged that the threats were followed by raids on Kyagulanyi’s residence in Magere and attacks on members of his family and household staff.
Katana claimed that the home has effectively been taken over by security forces.
“The home has been turned into a garrison. Tents have been erected in the compound and no one has access to the house,” he said.
According to Katana, the security operation has extended beyond Kyagulanyi to senior members of the opposition party.
He cited the recent arrest of a Kapchorwa-based NUP leader who was allegedly detained on suspicion that she knew Kyagulanyi’s whereabouts.
“She was taken through an ordeal, and after officers established that she was unaware of where Kyagulanyi is, she was released. This clearly confirms that Kyagulanyi is under pursuit,” Katana said.
Despite the circumstances, Katana said the party believes its leader is safe and will re-emerge at a time of his choosing.
“We believe that he is alive and will come out of hiding when he deems it best fit to do so,” he said.
The remarks echoed statements made a day earlier by NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, who told journalists at the party headquarters in Makerere-Kavule that Kyagulanyi was alive and well and would soon address the country.
“He sends greetings to the country and will be speaking to the nation very soon,” Rubongoya said.
Government officials have repeatedly denied claims that there is any plan to arrest or harm the two-time presidential candidate.
The Minister for Information and Communications Technology and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, has previously defended the continued deployment of security personnel at Kyagulanyi’s residence, saying it was intended to prevent the premises from being used as “a hub for public disorder.”
Responding to controversial social media posts attributed to Gen Muhoozi suggesting state pursuit of Kyagulanyi, Baryomunsi sought to distance the government from the remarks.
“The CDF doesn’t speak for the government of Uganda. He likes tweets. Sometimes I don’t read them. Then shortly, he deletes them. I am sure Ugandans have formed an opinion on his tweets,” Baryomunsi said during a recent radio interview.
The developments follow the January 15, 2026 general presidential and parliamentary elections, whose results Kyagulanyi publicly rejected, describing them as “fake” and alleging ballot stuffing.
He accused the Electoral Commission of announcing results without presenting the mandatory Declaration of Results forms, though he has not provided specific evidence to support the claims.
On January 16, 2026, Kyagulanyi reportedly left his Magere residence and went into hiding, citing a military raid on his home and concerns for his personal safety.
Since then, he has continued to issue updates to supporters through social media, insisting that state security agencies are targeting him, claims the government has consistently denied.
Kyagulanyi has said he will not challenge the election results in court, citing a lack of confidence in the judiciary, and has instead called on his supporters to engage in peaceful street protests to express dissatisfaction with the electoral process.