Opposition Leader’s Home Raided in Overnight Military Operation
KAMPALA, Uganda — The home of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader and former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was the subject of an overnight military-style raid by armed personnel, the Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi reported on Friday.
Ssenyonyi stated he rushed to the Magere residence after receiving alerts of the operation. Upon arrival, he described encountering dozens of military personnel both inside and outside the compound, some in uniform and others in plain clothes, who denied him access.
“I have been denied access by the numerous gun-men, who are said to have broken the house doors, assaulted the family and occupants, ransacked the house, and taken all the gadgets they could find,” Ssenyonyi said in a statement posted on social media.
According to the opposition leader, the raiding officers seized phones and other electronic devices from Bobi Wine’s wife, Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi, and other family members present. The musician Dax Vibez, Bobi Wine’s younger brother, corroborated the claim on X, stating Barbie’s phone was confiscated.
Videos circulating online appear to show armed soldiers entering the compound at night. Audio from the scene captures a shaken Barbie Itungo questioning the officers’ presence.
Ssenyonyi expressed frustration over the methods used, stating he contacted senior police officers who claimed no knowledge of the operation. “They however say they are not aware of the raid, and apparently don’t even know who is commanding the operation!!!” he said.
The raid occurred hours after Barbie Itungo hosted lawyers and journalists at the residence, and days after she met with religious leaders from the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, where she detailed the pressures faced by her family since her husband went into hiding.
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