In a series of late‑night posts on the social‑media platform X (formerly Twitter), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) and son of President Yoweri Museveni, announced that the military is actively hunting opposition figure Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as “Bobi Wine”, “dead or alive”.
The statements, first posted in the early hours of Friday, 30 January, 2026, marked a stark reversal from earlier government denials that security forces were seeking to arrest the former presidential candidate, who finished with roughly 24 % of the vote in the 15 January 2026, election that re‑elected Museveni with 72 % of the ballot.
“It doesn’t matter how long it takes – we will get him,” the CDF wrote in a brief tweet. In another tweet, attaching a photo of a woman believed to be Barbie Kyagulanyi, Bobi Wine’s wife, sitting under the watch of a soldier in a military vest and jeans, Gen Muhoozi said, “This is when our soldiers captured and then released Kabobi’s wife, Barbie. She was very helpful in helping us find her husband. Kabobi is next.”
In another post, Gen. Muhoozi added, “As he is taking selfies and videos, his wife was captured. The definition of an IDIOT!” He also warned foreign governments: “Any foreign powers who attempt to smuggle Kabobi outside the country are going to create a serious rupture in relations!”
When asked by Member of Parliament Daudi Kabanda (Kasambya County) whether there was any possibility of clemency for Kyagulanyi, Muhoozi replied, “PLU can forgive rebels even on their deathbeds.” The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) is a political pressure group that publicly aligns with the CDF.
Bobi Wine, who has been in exile inside Uganda since the night after the election, posts videos and photos on his own X account showing himself speaking from different locations.
Robert Kyagulanyi, a former pop star turned politician, first entered the national stage in 2017 with his “People Power” movement. He ran for president in 2021, finishing second behind President Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986.
Following the 2026 vote, the government announced a crackdown on “terrorist” elements linked to the opposition, a claim that has been widely disputed.
For now, Bobi Wine remains “at large”, according to his own statements, and his whereabouts continue to be the subject of speculation.
