Bobi Wine wishes Besigye a quick recovery amid his own political plight

Uganda’s main opposition leader in the 2026 General Election, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, on Wednesday posted a photo of longtime opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, who is in hospital.

Besigye's health deteriorated while in detention. 

“Very sad to hear that Dr Kizza Besigye’s health has continued to deteriorate while in detention, having been denied access to proper medical care,” Bobi Wine wrote on his page on the social media platform X. 

Bobi Wine, who recently lost to President Yoweri Museveni according to Uganda’s Electoral Commission as announced by Justice Simon Byabakama, has claimed the polls were rigged.

He posted videos of poll officials allegedly marking ballot papers in favour of the incumbent.

He said President Museveni and his cabal were causing the suffering to Ugandans and that the “regime must never get away with all the suffering they have caused to our nation.”

Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP) is not free himself, after the Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president’s son, gave him 48 hours to surrender to authorities.

Bobi Wine shared screenshots of General Kainerugaba’s posts on the X platform, which have since been deleted.

General Kainerugaba had claimed that 22 supporters of NUP had been killed and he hoped the 23rd person would be “Kabobi”, which Bobi Wine maintained referred to threats directed at him. 

The musician-turned-politician said that his wife and people, referring to aides, are under effective house arrest after his compound was besieged by the military.

In an interview with Al Jazeera from an undisclosed place, he said he misses being at home and he really yearns for the opportunity to help citizens.

“I have not changed my clothes for days. I want to be home, I want to be free, I want to take care of my people, but the military and police have taken over my home,” he said. 

On Tuesday, Bobi Wine said his wife and his people are starving after the military allegedly blocked food from reaching them.

“We demand that the military vacate our home immediately. My wife and people are not safe. They’re starving…”

He added that the military “cut the padlocks of our gates and replaced them with chains.” 

The Electoral Commission (EC) on January 17, 2026, announced in Kampala that Museveni, 81, of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) garnered 7,944,772 votes, representing 71.65 percent of the valid votes cast.

Bobi Wine emerged second with 2,741,238 votes, representing 24.72 percent of the total ballots cast, results which the NUP leader dismissed as fake via a video released on his account on the social media platform X from an undisclosed location. 

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate James Nandala Mafabi got 209,039 votes, Frank Bulira Kabinga of the Revolutionary People’s Party (RPP) garnered 45,959 votes, Robert Kasibante of the National Peasants Party (NPP) got 33,440 and Joseph Mabirizi of the Conservative Party (CP) got 23,458.
Maj Gen (rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) got 59,276 votes, while Mubarak Munyagwa of the Common Man’s Party (CMP) secured 31,666 votes. 

A total of 11,366,201 Ugandans cast their ballot, representing 52.5 percent voter turnout.

Museveni would on Sunday claim that were it not for the threats by the opposition, the voter turnout would be remarkable and his NRM would have shone more than it did. 

“My 10 million supporters did not turn out to vote because of threats from the opposition, otherwise, my NRM party would have shown them real dust,” Museveni said.

Election observer missions stated that internet blackout and media bias were major concerns as the electorate and citizens were denied the chance to fully monitor the situation across the country.

Museveni says that opposition leaders are enemies of Uganda and that they are being used by foreigners to destroy their own country.