Bobi Wine Rejects Any Negotiation for His Freedom, Vows to Return to Uganda as a Free Citizen

NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), currently in the United States, has firmly rejected negotiating with the Ugandan government for his safety or his party’s recognition, insisting he will return home only as a free citizen to continue the fight for democracy and human rights. 

National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has drawn a firm line in the sand: he will not bargain for his own freedom or the legitimacy of his political party.

Speaking in a virtual interview with France 24 on Tuesday, March 24, while in Washington, the opposition leader who fled Uganda after the disputed January 15 presidential election made his position crystal clear.

“We don’t need any negotiation for our political party (NUP) to be recognised. The law is not negotiated. The law is the law,” he stated. “We have never been disagreeable to dialogue. We are for dialogue, but we don’t believe in transactional dialogue. We believe in constructive and principled dialogue. I’m not going to negotiate for my freedom; my freedom has to be guaranteed.”

Kyagulanyi finished second in the January 15 election with 24.72% of the vote, according to the Electoral Commission, which declared President Yoweri Museveni the winner with 71.65%. Museveni’s margin was his highest since the return of multiparty politics 20 years ago.

The NUP leader has consistently rejected the results, citing widespread irregularities including the abduction of polling agents, arrests of supporters, a four-day internet blackout, and instances of ballot stuffing captured on camera. He chose not to file a petition in the Supreme Court, arguing he had no faith in the judiciary.

After narrowly escaping a military raid on his home on January 16, Kyagulanyi went into hiding. On January 23, security forces stormed his residence in Magere, vandalising the house and allegedly assaulting his wife, Barbara Itungo, in an attempt to extract information about his whereabouts. The dramatic incident sparked widespread condemnation.

He eventually left the country in late January and resurfaced in the United States, where he has been engaging with officials in Washington.

When asked whether he planned to return to Uganda given the direct threats he faced — including public comments from Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba that he was actively looking for him — Kyagulanyi was unequivocal.

“I intend to go back to my country. My fight is in Uganda. My work is in Uganda and my citizenship is in Uganda. I’m a Ugandan and I have to go back to my country. However, I’m supposed to be in Uganda as a free citizen, not as a person who must beg for my freedom,” he said.

In a notable development on the same day as the interview, state security finally vacated the siege they had maintained at Kyagulanyi’s Magere home for over two months.