Thursday, January 22, 2026 — By Dalena Reporters
Kampala, Uganda — Uganda’s opposition movement faced a dramatic escalation of political pressure this week, with National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, widely known as Bobi Wine, issuing a stark warning after the arrests and disappearances of several senior party deputies. The developments mark a deepening crisis following the chaotic 2026 presidential election, which Bobi Wine has rejected as rigged and marred by violence and intimidation.
Wine’s comments, shared on social media and through his party’s communications on Thursday, January 22, allege that security forces have intensified detention and enforced disappearance tactics targeting his closest political allies. His Deputy President for Northern Uganda, Dr. Lina Zedriga Waru, was reportedly abducted from her home on January 15 and remains missing, while Deputy President for Western Uganda, Hon. Jolly Jacklyn Tukamushaba, was allegedly abducted from Rukiga District on January 14 and has also not been accounted for.
In addition, Bobi Wine said that Hon. Muwanga Kivumbi, the Deputy President for the party’s Central Region, was arrested on Thursday and is currently detained at the Kira Division Police Station in Kampala.
Bobi Wine: “I am not free — they are hunting me”
In a message to supporters, Wine described the escalating repression against his movement and appealed for steadfastness amid what he characterised as “persecution” by authorities. “As the persecution intensifies, may we remain rooted in hope and faith, that our struggle the Ugandan struggle will end in victory,” the opposition figure wrote.
His assertions underscore a broader crackdown on dissent that has drawn heightened scrutiny both domestically and internationally as Uganda navigates a tense post-election period. Wine’s party has consistently accused the government of arresting, intimidating, and disappearing its leaders and supporters charges Ugandan authorities have routinely denied.
Allied Arrests and International Attention
Just days after the contested election in which President Yoweri Museveni claimed victory for a seventh term in office allied reporting from global outlets confirms that police have detained key opposition figures. Muwanga Kivumbi was notably taken into custody on grounds of alleged involvement in electoral violence, according to the police, although the NUP disputes those claims amid ongoing tension.
International rights groups and observers have also documented a pattern of arrests, reported disappearances, and restrictions on political freedoms surrounding Uganda’s election, which was marked by internet shutdowns and allegations of ballot manipulation.
The situation has provoked concern among civil liberties advocates, with critics warning that sustained use of force, detentions without transparent legal process, and the targeting of political figures could undermine Uganda’s democratic institutions and stoke further unrest.
The Broader Context
The political dispute has roots in long-standing tensions between President Museveni’s ruling establishment in power since 1986 and a resurgent opposition seeking greater democratic space and accountability. Allegations of repression, from arrests of supporters to claims of blocked access to basic needs and safety for opposition families, reflect a fraught political environment as the nation adjusts to an intensely contested election outcome.