Museveni’s Son Issues Ultimatum to Opposition Leader Bobi Wine

Uganda’s post-election crisis has moved decisively into the security sphere, as the country’s military leadership inserted itself directly into partisan politics following the January presidential vote. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the chief of Uganda’s Army (UPDF) and son of President Yoweri Museveni, publicly threatened opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, days after Museveni was declared the winner with about 75 percent of the vote.

Kainerugaba used his official X account on January 19 to issue an ultimatum: “I am giving him exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the Police.” He added, “If he doesn't we will treat him as an outlaw/rebel and handle him accordingly.”

In another post referencing Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP), the general wrote: “We have killed 22 NUP terrorists since last week. I'm praying the 23rd is Kabobi.”

Police spokesperson Kituma Rusoke later said Wine was not being sought, highlighting a sharp disconnect between military rhetoric and civilian law enforcement.

“48 Hours to Surrender”

The threats followed disputed election results announced last week, after which Wine alleged widespread fraud and fled his home in Magere, Kampala. His party initially claimed he was kidnapped by military personnel using an army helicopter, alleging guards were assaulted and power and security cameras were cut. Police rejected the account. Wine later posted on X that he was hiding, contradicting the kidnapping claim but reinforcing fears about his personal security.

Bobi Wine has also responded on X on Jan. 20 with a detailed account of what he described as escalating intimidation around his home, directly linking the general’s online threats to events on the ground. “Last night as Museveni’s son was making these threats to kill me and gloating over killing 22 of our supporters (in reality, he has killed over 100 since last week), the military who are stationed inside our compound yet again banged my house doors as they sang profanities, ordering the occupants to come out of the house if they’re men,” he wrote.

He added that those present believed “the criminals seemed to be drunk,” and accused security forces of collectively punishing his family by cutting off supplies: “They’re starving after these criminals blocked food from reaching them. They cut the padlocks of our gates and replaced them with chains.”

The military chief’s remarks fit a broader pattern of personal and persistent online attacks against Bobi Wine. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has repeatedly used his official X account to mock the opposition leader, refer to him by derogatory nicknames such as “Kabobi,” and frame him as a criminal or security threat rather than a political rival. These posts, often issued late at night and during moments of political tension, have included taunts, threats, and inflammatory language that blur the line between personal insult and state intimidation, reinforcing concerns about the politicization of the military and the shrinking space for opposition politics in Uganda.

A Stressful Election

The election unfolded under restrictive conditions. Uganda shut down the internet 48 hours before polling, ordering rights groups to halt operations as Museveni sought a seventh term in office.

Authorities said the blackout was intended to preserve public order. Opposition groups said it obstructed election monitoring and facilitated abuses. Court documents show at least 118 NUP members were charged on Monday with election-related offenses, including unlawful assembly and conspiracy, charges the party’s secretary general David Rubongoya denied.

Post-election violence was reported in several locations. Police killed several opposition supporters in central Uganda in disputed circumstances, although large-scale violence on the scale of past regional crises did not materialize.

History of Inflammatory Rhetoric

Kainerugaba, 51, has a long record of provocative social media statements that blur military professionalism and personal politics. In 2022, he threatened to invade neighboring Kenya. Last year, he claimed to be holding Wine’s bodyguard in his basement and threatened to castrate him. The bodyguard was later charged with robbery.

On January 19, Kainerugaba posted another controversial message, claiming divine affiliation of the armies of Uganda, Rwanda & Israel, even though Uganda’s Constitution, adopted in 1995, establishes Uganda as a secular State. He said in his tweet “Almighty God has only three armies on earth. UPDF, RDF and IDF. May God bless His armies always.”

Kainerugaba has openly expressed his ambition to succeed his father, who has ruled Uganda since 1986 and is now 81 years old. Museveni has denied grooming his son for power, but the general’s visibility and rhetoric reinforces perceptions that Uganda’s military hierarchy is entangled with succession politics.

Opposition Under Pressure

Wine, a former pop star who finished runner-up in the election, has continued to issue statements from undisclosed locations, alleging intimidation, abductions, and repression. His movement has faced repeated crackdowns during the campaign, with security forces opening fire on rallies and detaining activists. The combination of internet shutdowns, mass arrests, and direct military threats has intensified concerns among rights groups about the narrowing space for political opposition.

While police insist Wine is not wanted, the military chief’s statements have amplified uncertainty over who controls coercive power in Uganda. The episode highlights a broader regional pattern in which armed forces play an increasingly overt role in electoral disputes, even where formal coups are absent.