Uganda's military commander Muhoozi Kainerugaba denied Bobi Wine's claim that soldiers assaulted Wine's wife during a raid on their Magere home. Wine, who has been hiding after rejecting the Jan. 15 presidential result, said troops forced entry, assaulted staff and choked his wife, who sought medical care. Kainerugaba dismissed the accusations on X and said security forces were searching for Wine, not his wife.
Uganda Military Chief Dismisses Claims Soldiers Assaulted Bobi Wine's Wife During Home Raid
FILE PHOTO: Muhoozi Kainerugaba of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), the son of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who leads the Ugandan army's land forces, looks on during his birthday party in Entebbe, Uganda May 7, 2022. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa/File Photo
NAIROBI, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Uganda's military commander, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, on Monday denied allegations by opposition leader Bobi Wine that soldiers assaulted Wine's wife during a pre‑dawn raid on the family's home in the Magere suburb of Kampala.
Allegations From Bobi Wine
Wine, whose legal name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said troops forced their way into his Magere residence late on Friday, assaulted staff and put his wife, Barbara Kyagulanyi, in a chokehold, forcing her to seek medical care. Wine — a pop star turned politician who has been in hiding since the country's disputed Jan. 15 presidential vote — said he was not at home at the time.
Military Response
Kainerugaba, who is also President Yoweri Museveni's son, rejected the claims in a post on X, saying the army "do not beat up women." He added that the security forces were searching for Wine, not his wife.
"They are not worth our time. We are looking for her cowardly husband not her," Kainerugaba wrote on X.
Context
President Museveni was reported to have won the Jan. 15 election with about 71.6% of the vote. Wine finished second and has rejected the result, alleging fraud. He and his supporters say security forces have subjected him and his movement to sustained harassment since the vote.
The military has not publicly clarified the precise reason for searching Wine's residence or for seeking him. Rights organizations and opposition groups have long accused Museveni's administration of deploying security forces to suppress dissent — allegations the government denies.
(Reporting by Vincent Mumo Nzilani; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
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