By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Ugandan singer and frontline opposition figure, Bobi Wine has indicated readiness to contest the East African country’s presidential election due to hold January next year.
Bobi Wine, 43 who first attempted to oust long-time leader, Yoweri Museveni in 2021 criticised the West for not speaking out against what he termed “gross human rights violations” in the country.
“Yeah, I’ve expressed my availability on behalf of my team,” Wine said in an interview with Reuters on Friday when asked whether he would stand again.
Wine, leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), is expected to slug it out with Museveni, 80, who has spent nearly 40 years in office and is widely expected to seek re-election.
According to Wine, participation in the election will also be “a fighting opportunity to further undress and expose the regime and to further galvanise the people of Uganda to rise up and free themselves.”
In the 2021 election which outcome he rejected, Wine came second, alleging ballot staffing, falsification of results, beatings and intimidation by soldiers and other irregularities.
Authorities and electoral commission however denied the allegation.
Wine whose chief bodyguard, Eddie Mutwe is being incarcerated on the instruction of the country’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba who is also Museveni’s son criticised Western governments for not denouncing what he said were escalating human rights violations, including abductions, illegal detention and torture of his supporters and officials.
“Some leaders in the West are complicit in our suffering. They are here to crack their (business) deals and they don’t care about human rights,” he said.
“If they were standing for the values that they profess, then they would be castigating all these gross human rights violations,” he fired further.
Uganda’s justice minister during Mutwe’s arraignment for “robbery” earlier in the week said said he appeared to have been tortured while in captivity of the President’s son.
Kainerugaba admitted admitted keeping the opposition activist his basement and that he was using him as a punching bag.
After missing for a week Mutwe was on Monday produced in court, charged with robbery and remanded.
Wine said Mutwe told him he had been electrocuted, waterboarded and beaten.
He said if elected in the 2026 polls, his priorities would include restoration of political and civil rights and a crackdown on corruption.
