Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has said opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, should be barred from participating in future elections.
In a series of posts shared on January 22 on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Gen. Kainerugaba claimed he was banning Kyagulanyi from all future electoral processes, citing national security considerations. He said the restriction would apply whether the opposition politician is inside or outside the country.
“Whether Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu is in the country or not, I, as CDF, in the interests of national security and for the good of the commonwealth, ban him from any further participation in the electoral exercises of Uganda,” Gen. Kainerugaba wrote.
In a follow-up post, the army chief expanded his remarks, stating that anyone who declares Bobi Wine as their political leader should also be disqualified from participating in elections. He did not provide details on the legal basis for such a move or how it would be implemented.
The comments came shortly after the January 15 general elections, in which President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner. Although Gen. Kainerugaba did not directly reference the election outcome, the timing of his remarks has attracted widespread attention both locally and internationally.
By the time of publication, no official directive, legal instrument or statement from the Electoral Commission or any other government body had been issued to give effect to the declarations. The comments remain social media statements, though Gen. Kainerugaba explicitly cited his position as Chief of Defence Forces while making them.
Uganda’s Constitution assigns responsibility for electoral management to civilian institutions, and the military is legally required to remain non-partisan. As a result, the remarks have sparked debate among legal experts and political observers about the role of the armed forces in the country’s political affairs.
