Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has denied allegations that soldiers assaulted Barbara Kyagulanyi, the wife of opposition leader Bobi Wine, during a raid on their home.
Bobi Wine, who says he is in hiding, claimed on Saturday that armed military officers surrounded their house, held his wife at gunpoint, assaulted her, and seized documents and electronic devices. He said the home remained under military siege following the incident.
Speaking from hospital, Barbara Kyagulanyi said dozens of men, some wearing military uniforms, broke into the house and demanded to know her husband’s whereabouts. She said she was assaulted after refusing to cooperate.
The incident comes shortly after the re election of President Yoweri Museveni, who secured another term in a landslide victory. Bobi Wine rejected the result, alleging widespread electoral fraud.
On Monday, Kainerugaba posted on X denying responsibility for the assault. He said his soldiers did not beat Kyagulanyi and claimed the military was only interested in arresting her husband. The post drew widespread criticism due to its dismissive tone.
Since Museveni was declared the winner of the 15 January election, Kainerugaba has repeatedly demanded Bobi Wine’s surrender and has issued public threats against him.
Bobi Wine said on Monday that the military chief was still searching for him and continuing to issue threats. He thanked supporters for keeping him safe and said his wife was still recovering from both physical and psychological trauma.
“My wife is still recovering from the trauma of an overnight raid and assault. My home remains surrounded by the military,” he wrote on X.
From her hospital bed, Barbara Kyagulanyi described being beaten, choked, dragged, and partially undressed by officers during the raid. She said one officer struck her in the face, tore her lip, pulled her hair, and lifted her by the waistband of her trousers while another choked her. She said she later lost consciousness.
According to Bobi Wine, his wife was admitted to hospital with serious physical injuries and emotional distress.
Since the election, opposition groups have accused security forces of targeting their supporters. Kainerugaba said last week that security personnel had killed 30 supporters of the National Unity Party, led by Bobi Wine, and detained more than 2,000 others.
The party has denied claims that its supporters were involved in election related violence. Opposition lawmaker Muwanga Kivumbi, a close ally of Bobi Wine, was arrested last week, a move the party described as politically motivated.
The Uganda Law Society condemned what it called an ongoing wave of arbitrary detentions, torture, and enforced disappearances of opposition figures and supporters.
“No one should be subjected to violence by security forces under the pretext of national security,” the society said.
Uganda has never experienced a peaceful transfer of presidential power since independence. Museveni, who first came to power in 1986 after leading a rebel movement, is set to complete 45 years in office by the end of his current term in 2031.