Ugandan opposition leader and pop singer Bobi Wine has announced his intention to run for president for a second time. He also criticized Western nations for what he perceives as a lack of strong condemnation of “gross human rights violations” in Uganda.
Wine, 43, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is set to challenge the long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, 80, who is widely expected to seek re-election in the upcoming January election.
“Yeah, I’ve expressed my availability on behalf of my team,” Wine stated in an interview with Reuters, confirming his intention to stand again. He added that participating in the election would provide “a fighting opportunity to further undress and expose the regime and to further galvanise the people of Uganda to rise up and free themselves.”
In the 2021 election, Wine finished second but rejected the results, citing allegations of ballot stuffing, falsification of results, beatings, intimidation by soldiers, and other irregularities. Government and electoral officials have denied these accusations.
Wine voiced his criticism of Western governments for not speaking out against what he described as escalating human rights violations, including abductions, illegal detention, and torture of his supporters and officials. He did not single out any specific country.
“Some leaders in the West are complicit in our suffering. They are here to crack their (business) deals and they don’t care about human rights,” he said. “If they were standing for the values that they profess, then they would be castigating all these gross human rights violations.”
Uganda is considered a Western ally in the fight against jihadist groups and has deployed troops in Somalia.
Uganda’s Justice Minister recently acknowledged that Eddie Mutwe, an activist in Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party and his personal bodyguard, appeared to have been tortured while in captivity. Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who also heads the military, stated that he had kept Mutwe in his basement and used him as a “punching bag.”
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Mutwe was produced in court on Monday, a week after disappearing, and charged with robbery. He has been remanded in custody. Wine stated that Mutwe told him he had been electrocuted, waterboarded, and beaten.
Police spokesman Rusoke Kituma did not respond to a request for comment on the allegations. Reuters also contacted a spokesperson for Uganda’s defence forces seeking comment from Kainerugaba, but received no response.
Wine said that if elected, his priorities would include restoring political and civil rights and cracking down on corruption
