Ugandan Opposition Leader Flees Country After Hiding From Military Search

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine announced he has left the country after weeks in hiding following a disputed presidential election. Wine rejected official results showing President Yoweri Museveni won with 71.6% of the vote and went underground after soldiers raided his home.

KAMPALA, Uganda — Popular Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine announced Saturday that he has escaped the country while evading a military manhunt following January’s contested presidential race.

The opposition leader, born Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, disappeared from public view after the January 15 election results. Official tallies showed incumbent President Yoweri Museveni secured 71.6% of votes, but Wine denounced these numbers as fraudulent.

For several weeks, Wine’s whereabouts remained a mystery, sparking widespread worry about his wellbeing as army commander Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba issued repeated warnings against him on social media platform X.

The general, who is Museveni’s son and expected successor, has implied Wine faces criminal charges without providing specifics. However, Ugandan police officials deny actively pursuing him.

Speaking in a video message shared on X Saturday, a bearded Wine confirmed his departure from Uganda without disclosing his destination.

“Fellow Ugandans and friends of Uganda all over the world, by the time you see this video I will have left the country for some critical engagements outside Uganda,” he said. “And at the right time I will come back and continue with the cause. I thank all of you fellow Ugandans who have concealed and protected me for all this time when the regime was looking for me.”

Wine credited ordinary citizens for his ability to evade capture, stating security forces couldn’t locate him “because the people have protected me.”

Government troops stormed Wine’s residence one day after the January 15 voting concluded, but the candidate had already vanished, concerned for his safety after weeks of campaigning while wearing protective gear at events heavily monitored by security personnel.

Kainerugaba has spearheaded efforts to locate Wine, labeling him a “baboon” and “terrorist” in social media posts. The general frequently shares inflammatory content online, which he typically removes afterward.

Among seven challengers to Museveni’s rule, Wine gained significant support from younger voters in cities, many facing unemployment or frustrated by government corruption and limited economic prospects. These supporters desire political transformation after four decades under the same leadership.

The 81-year-old Museveni is scheduled for inauguration in May, beginning a seventh term that would extend his rule to nearly five decades.

Museveni’s backers praise him for maintaining relative stability and peace, making Uganda a refuge for hundreds of thousands fleeing conflicts across the region. Critics, including former allies, argue his administration has become increasingly authoritarian.