Uganda’s Minister of Information, ICT and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi, has dismissed claims that opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, is being hunted by state security agencies following the disputed January 2026 presidential election.
Speaking to the media amid heightened post-election tensions, Baryomunsi, who also serves as the government spokesperson, said Bobi Wine is not wanted by the state, the police, or the army, and has no reason to remain in hiding.
“Bobi Wine is not wanted by anyone — not by the government, not by the police, and not by the UPDF,” Baryomunsi said. “There is absolutely no reason for him to be in hiding. He is free to go back home to his family and should do so calmly, while observing the law.”
His remarks come days after Bobi Wine claimed he had gone into hiding, citing what he described as an “unjustified manhunt” by security forces. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader alleged that operatives were trailing him, mounting roadblocks, and using drones to monitor his movements.
“Despite the ongoing unjustified manhunt by the criminal regime, I am grateful to the common people who I meet daily for trying to shield me and keep me safe,” Bobi Wine wrote on January 26, adding that he would “reappear at an appropriate time.”
However, Baryomunsi rejected these assertions, insisting that no security agency had chased Bobi Wine from his home in Magere, Wakiso District. He said the heavy military and police presence around the residence was being misinterpreted.
“Nobody chased him away from his home,” Baryomunsi said. “The security that was around Magere was for monitoring purposes — to know who is coming in and who is going out — not to pursue or arrest him.”
The minister further assured that Bobi Wine’s personal safety is guaranteed, accusing the opposition figure of unnecessarily dramatising the situation.
“He is safe. The state has no interest in harming him,” Baryomunsi said. “At times you get the impression that he is hiding from his own shadow, or deliberately trying to create a narrative that he is under siege.”
Baryomunsi’s comments appear aimed at countering earlier statements by senior army officers, including claims that Bobi Wine and some NUP figures were wanted for unspecified offences. Those assertions have since been contradicted by both government and police officials.
In another post on January 26, Bobi Wine accused Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, of issuing threats against him, and claimed his wife was traumatised following an overnight raid at their home.
“Museveni’s criminal son is still looking for me and issuing threats to harm me,” Bobi Wine wrote. “My home is still surrounded by the military.”
The January 2026 presidential election has been followed by sharp exchanges between the government, the opposition, and the security establishment, with Bobi Wine rejecting the declared results and alleging widespread electoral fraud. The government has denied the allegations and urged opposition leaders to seek redress through lawful means.
Baryomunsi reiterated that the opposition leader should emerge from hiding and engage peacefully.
“If he has issues, there are legal channels,” he said. “But hiding is unnecessary. He should go home and live like any other Ugandan, peacefully and within the law.”
