Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says he has left Uganda after spending about two months in hiding following the country’s disputed presidential election in January.
In a video posted online, Wine said he travelled abroad for “critical engagements” and to mobilise the international community against the government of Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986. Wine also repeated his claim that the election results were rigged and insisted that he actually won the vote.
According to official results, Museveni, now 81, secured about 72% of the vote. The government has rejected allegations of election fraud and has accused the opposition of trying to challenge the outcome through violence.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, said security forces had been searching for him since the election. He claimed authorities raided the homes of his supporters and set up roadblocks across the country while trying to locate him. He also said his house in the capital, Kampala, remained surrounded by the military.
Some officials deny that security forces are pursuing him. However, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president’s son and head of the country’s military, previously posted messages on social media saying Wine was “wanted dead or alive” and threatening him. Those posts were later deleted.
Wine, a former pop star who entered politics in recent years, insisted he had committed no crime. “Running for president is not a crime,” he said in his message.
Tensions have remained high since the election. After protests by Wine’s supporters, Kainerugaba said about 30 members of the opposition party had been killed, describing them as “terrorists”. The opposition disputes that claim and accuses the government of using force to silence critics.
Wine says his trip abroad is intended to push for international pressure and targeted sanctions against the Museveni government while continuing to campaign for political change in Uganda.
