Uganda Army Chief Says Opposition Leader Bobi Wine Should Be Barred From Future Elections

Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has said opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, widely known as Bobi Wine, should be barred from participating in any future elections in the country.In a series of posts published on January 22 on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Gen. Kainerugaba stated that he was banning Kyagulanyi from future electoral participation, citing national security concerns.

He said the restriction would apply regardless of whether the opposition leader is inside or outside Uganda.

“Whether Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu is in the country or not, I, as CDF, in the interests of national security and for the good of the commonwealth, ban him from any further participation in the electoral exercises of Uganda,” Gen. Kainerugaba wrote.

In a subsequent post, the army chief extended his remarks beyond Kyagulanyi himself, stating that anyone who declares Bobi Wine as their political leader should also be disqualified from electoral participation.

He did not explain the legal basis for such a measure or how it would be enforced.Gen. Kainerugaba’s statements followed Uganda’s January 15 elections, in which President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner.

While the army chief did not directly reference the election results, the timing of his comments has drawn significant domestic and international attention.

As of publication, no official directive, legal instrument, or statement from Uganda’s Electoral Commission or other state institutions has been issued to give effect to the declarations made by the Chief of Defence Forces.

The remarks remain statements made on social media, though Gen. Kainerugaba explicitly referenced his official position in making them.Uganda’s constitution places electoral management under civilian authorities, and the military is legally mandated to be non-partisan.

Gen. Kainerugaba’s comments have therefore prompted debate among legal analysts and political observers over the role of the armed forces in the country’s political process.

Neither Bobi Wine nor his party had issued a formal response to the statements by the army chief at the time of publication.