Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has accused the military of forcefully occupying his family home in Magere, Wakiso District, in what he described as a renewed and escalating siege against him and his family.
In a statement released Tuesday, Wine said armed soldiers surrounded and entered the residence overnight, taking control of the property both inside and outside.
He said the deployment has left the family completely barred from accessing the home, weeks after an earlier raid that allegedly resulted in vandalism and seizure of personal belongings.
“Last night, the military surrounding our home in Magere once again forced themselves into the house. They’re now fully occupying our entire home, inside, outside, and around it,” the opposition leader said.
According to Wine, the family has not been allowed to return to the house since January 23, when armed men allegedly broke in, damaged property, and took away items and documents.
He said the continued military presence has made it impossible to assess the extent of the destruction or establish what was taken during the initial operation.
“We are still unable to assess the extent of the destruction caused to the house when they first broke it and vandalised it on 23rd January,” he said, adding that no inventory has been provided for the items allegedly seized.
“None of our family members has ever been allowed to access it since the attack happened.”
The National Unity Platform (NUP) leader said the latest development underscores what he termed sustained harassment and intimidation by state security agencies, particularly targeting opposition figures and their families.
He linked the incident to a broader pattern of repression, including arrests of supporters, disruption of party activities, and heavy security deployments around his movements.
Security agencies had not immediately responded to the claims by the time of publication.
In past incidents, authorities have often defended deployments around opposition leaders as necessary for maintaining public order, accusing some politicians of inciting unrest, allegations the opposition has consistently denied.
Human rights activists and opposition figures reacted with alarm, calling for an immediate end to what they described as the unlawful occupation of private property.
Some urged Parliament and oversight bodies to intervene, warning that such actions undermine constitutional protections and the rule of law.
Bobi Wine, a former pop star turned politician, has been a central figure in Uganda’s opposition politics over the last decade and was the main challenger to President Yoweri Museveni in the 2021 presidential election.
His Magere home has previously been placed under security cordon during periods of heightened political tension.
The latest incident comes amid renewed political mobilisation by the opposition and growing scrutiny of Uganda’s human rights record by regional and international observers.
As of Tuesday afternoon, it remained unclear how long the military deployment at the Magere residence would last or whether the family would be allowed access to the property.
Bobi Wine said he would continue to document and speak out against the actions, calling on Ugandans and the international community to “pay attention to what is happening” and demand accountability.
