Ugandan opposition leader and 2026 presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has spoken out on talks with Museveni, hinted on return home as security leaves his Magere home.
Bobi Wine says he plans to return to Uganda after nearly two months in hiding, and after weeks in the United States.
In a Washington interview with France 24, Bobi Wine made it clear he was seeking international support due to ongoing threats in Uganda.
He left his home in January after President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term, citing a military raid on his home ordered by chief of defence forces and Museveni’s son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba as one of the key reasons.
Bobi Wine also cited subsequent raids and his wife’s assault during these operations, claiming Gen. Kainerugaba publicly threatened his life, forcing him to flee for safety.
Bobi Wine on talks with Museveni
One of Bobi Wine’s former musician friends, Eddy Kenzo, recently advised him to hold respectful talks with Museveni, as reported Here.
But in Washington DC, Bobi Wine ruled out negotiating his return to Kampala, saying, “I am not going to negotiate my freedom.”
He added, “It is not about me, but about ourselves” – a struggle for Uganda’s generation.”
Bobi Wine urged democratic nations to sanction President Museveni, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and officials accused of human rights abuses.
The Pearl Times understands that Bobi Wine’s party, the NUP, insists on an independent audit of the 2026 presidential election results, and the release of all party members on remand. The NUP also wants a truth and reconciliation commission established. But the Museveni regime reportedly says the demands are too much.
President Museveni has led Uganda since 1986 when he captured government following a five year bush war that killed hundreds of thousands of people, largely in the Luweero Triangle, the war’s epicentre.
The government hasn’t responded to Bobi Wine’s remarks on his return or allegations against the military but in previous statement, the UPDF and government said they were not looking for Bobi Wine and that he was he was free to return to his home, as reported Here.
Security leave Bobi Wine’s home
Meanwhile, security forces have pulled out of the home of Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform president in Magere, Wakiso district, after a prolonged siege that started on January 15, 2026, restricting movement in and out of the area. The withdrawal occurred on Tuesday, following Bobi Wine’s announcement that he had temporarily left Uganda for the United States to engage with international partners.
The situation at the Magere home intensified on January 24, when security forces raided the residence, allegedly assaulting Bobi Wine’s wife, Barbie Kyagulanyi, who was later admitted to Nsambya Hospital.
Uganda’s military chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba confirmed the raid but denied the assault claims, stating, “My soldiers did not beat up Barbie… Kabobi’s wife. First of all, we do not beat up women. They are not worth our time. We are looking for her cowardly husband, not her.”
Tensions continued into February, with Kyagulanyi reporting another raid on February 3, saying security forces had taken control of his residence.
“The military surrounding our home in Magere once again forced themselves into the house. They’re now fully occupying our entire home – inside, outside, and around it,” he said.
On February 18, Bobi Wine stated that his family had fled the country due to safety concerns, saying, “They took over my home and surrounded it, and they are occupying my home as we speak right now. My wife and children had to flee the country for fear of their lives”.
Bobi Wine confirmed he left Uganda on March 14, describing his departure as temporary and aimed at engaging international stakeholders. Security has not commented on the reasons behind the withdrawal, but the deputy police chief had previously said police would only leave the Magere home after Bobi Wine has returned home, as reported Here.
Meanwhile, Bobi Wine’s Capitol Hill engagements recently sparked debate, with Bobi Wine firing back at critics who accused him of running to ‘bazungu’ to destabilize Uganda. (See Details Here, There and Over There).
Read what Bobi Wine previously said about talks with Museveni Here and There.
