Uganda's Military Chief Dismisses Assault Allegations Against Bobi Wine's Wife

Thu Jan 29 2026 20:20:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Muhoozi Kainerugaba refutes claims that military personnel assaulted Barbara Kyagulanyi during a raid at their home amid ongoing political tensions following recent elections.

In a recent turn of events surrounding Uganda's political landscape, military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has denied allegations that troops assaulted Barbara Kyagulanyi, the wife of opposition leader Bobi Wine. This denial comes after Wine claimed the army raided their home, holding his wife at gunpoint and assaulting her. While Kainerugaba insists his soldiers do not engage in violence against women, the opposition continues to accuse the military of targeting its supporters since the election results were announced, which Wine has rejected as fraudulent.

Uganda's military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has denied claims that soldiers assaulted Barbara Kyagulanyi, the wife of opposition leader Bobi Wine, during a raid at their home.

Wine, who is in hiding, alleged on Saturday that his wife was held at gunpoint by military officers who assaulted her, taking away documents and electronic items. He said the house continued to be surrounded by the military.

Speaking from hospital, Barbara Kyagulanyi said the officers had demanded to know Wine's whereabouts and had assaulted her when she refused.

It comes after the recent landslide victory of long-serving leader, and Kainerugaba's father, President Yoweri Museveni. Wine rejected the results citing fraud.

On Monday, the general posted on X that my soldiers did not beat up Barbie [Bobi Wine's] wife. He stated, First of all, we do not beat up women. They are not worth our time. We are looking for her cowardly husband not her, prompting further concerns about the state of political dissent in Uganda.

Since Museveni was announced the winner of the 15 January election, the military chief has demanded Wine's surrender and has issued death threats against him.

Wine said on Monday that Kainerugaba was still looking for him and issuing threats to harm me and thanked the people for continuing to keep him safe.

From her hospital bed, Barbara Kyagulanyi had described how dozens of men had broken into her house, some in military uniform, harassing and assaulting her. She recounted details of the assault, stating that an officer hit me on the face and tore my lip among other mistreatments that led to her being hospitalized.

As the crisis deepens, the Uganda Law Society has condemned the ongoing wave of detentions, torture and enforced disappearance of opposition leaders and supporters, emphasizing that no one should be subjected to violence by security forces under the pretext of national security.

The political crisis in Uganda, marked by a lack of peaceful transfer of power since independence, raises significant concerns as Museveni approaches nearly 45 years in power.