Bobi Wine ‘Abducted’ in Midnight Helicopter Raid as Wife Recounts Terrifying Siege at Family Home
Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, widely known as Bobi Wine, was reportedly abducted from his Magere residence following a dramatic late-night security operation involving a military helicopter, his party has claimed.
The alleged raid unfolded on Friday night, triggering widespread condemnation from the National Unity Platform (NUP) and renewed scrutiny of Uganda’s security agencies amid heightened political tensions.
Speaking during a frantic phone call to local media, Bobi Wine’s wife, Barbie Kyagulanyi, described what she said was a coordinated assault on their home by armed men believed to be state operatives.
“Men are attempting to get into the house. They want to break into the house,” she said during the call.
“They started by removing our cameras, then they brought ladders on the sides, and they have taken out our electricity.”
Barbie went on to describe an escalating siege, claiming the family compound had been completely surrounded.
“They have put a loudspeaker outside, and they have a helicopter above. They have a big light on the helicopter that is helping them,” she added.
“They have us surrounded, and they have chained our gates.”
According to her account, the presence of neighbours and loud cries for help briefly forced the officers to withdraw. Moments before the call ended, Barbie was heard telling a man identified only as Sharif to wait as she finished speaking, warning that the security forces would likely return. It remains unclear whether she was referring to Bobi Wine’s personal assistant, Don Najja Sharif, or his well-known look-alike, Kalanzi Sharif.
Party claims guards beaten and compound occupied
In a strongly worded statement, the National Unity Platform accused security forces of violently assaulting Bobi Wine’s private security guards despite “no provocation or wrongdoing”.
The party further alleged that officers jumped over the perimeter fence, erected tents inside the compound, and appeared to be preparing for a prolonged operation.
Tensions reportedly peaked when a helicopter landed near the residence, allegedly to facilitate the forceful removal of the opposition leader. NUP officials said they feared for Kyagulanyi’s safety and questioned the intentions behind what they described as a “midnight military-style raid”.
Police deny abduction claims
Uganda Police have flatly denied the allegations.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke dismissed the reports as politically motivated fabrications.
“These are deceitful and inciteful allegations intended to depict the security agencies of Uganda as brutal and violators of the rights of a political candidate,” Rusoke said.
“They are untrue and unfounded.”
Authorities have not publicly disclosed Bobi Wine’s whereabouts following the incident, further fuelling speculation and concern among supporters and human rights groups.
Deadly clashes heighten national tensions
The alleged abduction came just hours after deadly violence was reported at the home of MP Muwanga Kivumbi, a close ally of Bobi Wine.
Kivumbi claimed that at least seven people were killed inside his home in the early hours of Friday morning as supporters waited for the announcement of his parliamentary election results.
“They killed 10 people inside my house,” the MP alleged.
“There were people inside the garage who were waiting for the results to celebrate my victory.”
Police have strongly disputed this version of events. Spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe told Reuters that armed opposition supporters attacked a police station and a vote-tallying centre, prompting a lethal response.
“Security responded in self-defence because these people came in large numbers,” she said.
“Police fired in self-defence.”
Tumushabe added that 25 people were arrested during the clashes.
Growing pressure on Ugandan authorities
The twin incidents have intensified international concern over political repression, election violence, and the use of force against opposition figures in Uganda.
Bobi Wine, a former pop star turned politician, has long accused President Yoweri Museveni’s government of intimidation and brutality. The latest claims are likely to increase pressure on Ugandan authorities to clarify the opposition leader’s status and ensure his safety.
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Bobi Wine ‘Abducted’ in Midnight Helicopter Raid as Wife Recounts Terrifying Siege at Family Home