UGANDA: Hundreds of Soldiers Raid Bobi Wine’s Magere Home; Wife Assaulted, CCTV Stolen
Magere, Uganda — Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine have accused Ugandan security forces of carrying out an overnight raid on his residence in Magere, alleging that family members were assaulted, property damaged, and electronic equipment seized.
In a statement released on Thursday, the National Unity Party (NUP) campaign claimed that hundreds of soldiers descended on the home late at night. According to the statement, the personnel included members of the Special Forces Command (SFC), officers in regular Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) uniforms, and others in plain clothes. The campaign further alleged that some of the soldiers appeared intoxicated.
The statement alleges that the soldiers forced their way into the house by breaking doors and windows, using ladders to access upper floors, and extensively searching the premises, including ceilings and crawl spaces. Campaign officials say the operation resulted in the destruction of property and the seizure of money, documents, and several electronic items, including mobile phones, laptops, chargers, internet equipment, CCTV systems, and speakers.
The NUP campaign further alleges that Bobi Wine’s wife was held at gunpoint during the raid as soldiers demanded information about the opposition leader’s whereabouts. According to the account, her phone was confiscated, and when she refused to unlock it, she was allegedly assaulted, verbally abused, and subjected to degrading treatment. The statement claims the attackers spoke Runyakore and made derogatory remarks about her marriage. She is reportedly receiving medical care for what the campaign described as physical and psychological trauma.
The statement also claims that a household guard and a housemaid were beaten, and that soldiers demanded to know the location of a basement where they believed Bobi Wine might be hiding.
As of Thursday, the campaign said military and police personnel remained deployed in and around the Magere compound. Despite the incident, the statement said, the party remained resolute, declaring: “In all this, we remain firm in our belief that Uganda will be free.”
Efforts to obtain immediate comment from the Uganda People’s Defence Force and the Uganda Police Service were unsuccessful. The NUP campaign did not provide independent evidence beyond its statement to substantiate the claims.
Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is a musician-turned-politician and one of President Yoweri Museveni’s most prominent challengers. His supporters and human rights organisations have previously accused security forces of harassing and targeting him and his associates—allegations the military has consistently denied. The latest claims are likely to heighten scrutiny of security operations involving opposition figures as the election period approaches.