Reactions have continued to pour in from across Uganda’s political and civil society landscape following reports that Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi, wife of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine), was assaulted and her home was violently raided by security forces.
Among the voices condemning the incident was businessman and politician Abraham Luzzi, whose comments added to a chorus of criticism online.
Abraham Luzzi, known in Ugandan public life as “Mr Economy,” took to social media to applaud Barbara Kyagulanyi’s resilience.
“Barbie is a total boss… She faced 40 soldiers without clothes. She definitely deserves a medal,” Luzzi wrote, celebrating what he described as her courage under intense pressure.
Beyond individual commentators like Luzzi, organised groups and professional bodies have also spoken out.
Uganda Law Society (ULS), the legal professional body, issued a firm condemnation of the incident, describing the alleged home invasion and assault on Ms Kyagulanyi as a “grave abuse of state power” and a violation of fundamental human rights.
In a statement, the society asserted the incident undermined the rights to liberty, security and dignity, and vowed to pursue legal action, including an independent investigation and court petitions challenging what it called unlawful restrictions imposed on her.
Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS and a prominent civil society figure, sharply criticised the reported conduct of security forces. In a statement, she condemned not only the physical violence and confiscation of Ms Kyagulanyi’s devices—calling it “outright thuggery”—but also broader post-election actions she says harm democratic processes.
Byanyima called for the immediate return of confiscated property and an end to the siege on the Kyagulanyi home.
Members of the National Unity Platform (NUP), including Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, decried the raid as unnecessary and heavy-handed, arguing that normal legal procedures like summons could have been used instead of a forceful home invasion.
These condemnations reflect growing unease among legal professionals, civil society leaders and political commentators over the handling of opposition figures and their families in the tense post-election period.
International organisations and rights advocates have also raised concerns over similar reports of arrests, internet shutdowns and military involvement in political matters, urging adherence to human rights standards and restraint.
