Uganda’s military leadership on Monday rejected allegations that soldiers assaulted the wife of opposition figure Bobi Wine during an overnight raid on the couple’s home in the capital, as tensions remain high following the country’s disputed presidential election.
The denial came from Uganda’s army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who dismissed claims by Wine that troops stormed his residence in Kampala and injured his wife, Barbara Kyagulanyi, during a search operation over the weekend.
Wine, whose legal name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said soldiers broke into his home in the Magere neighborhood late Friday night while he was away. He alleged that security forces attacked household staff and choked his wife, forcing her to seek medical attention.
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Wine has been in hiding since Uganda’s January 15 presidential election, which he says was marred by fraud and intimidation. He finished second to long time President Yoweri Museveni, who was declared the winner with 71.6 percent of the vote.
In a post shared on social media, Kainerugaba denied that the army had harmed Wine’s wife and rejected the accusations outright.
“Our soldiers do not beat up women,” Kainerugaba wrote, adding that the military was focused on locating Wine himself. “They are not worth our time. We are looking for her cowardly husband, not her.”
Kainerugaba is the son of President Museveni and has previously drawn attention for his outspoken public statements on political and security matters.
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Wine, a former pop musician turned politician, has accused security forces of repeated harassment and intimidation since the election. He has rejected the official results and says his supporters were targeted in a post vote crackdown.
The government has not publicly explained why the military is searching for Wine. Officials have consistently denied claims of political repression and say security operations are aimed at maintaining public order.
Rights groups and opposition leaders have long accused Museveni’s government of using the military to silence critics, accusations the administration has repeatedly rejected. International observers, including groups cited by Reuters and the BBC, have raised concerns in past elections about the role of security forces in Uganda’s political process.
As of Monday, there was no independent confirmation of the alleged raid, and no formal investigation had been announced by authorities.
