Bobi Wine
Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, commonly known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is a Ugandan activist, opposition leader politician, singer, lawyer and actor. He is a former Member of Parliament for Kyadondo County East constituency in Wakiso District, in Uganda's Central Region.
He also leads the National Unity Platform political party. In June 2019, he announced his candidacy for the 2021 Ugandan presidential election. He participated in the 2021 election, in which, according to official results, he lost to incumbent Yoweri Museveni. As of January 2026, he maintains that this result was fraudulent. On 14 December 2021, he was placed under house arrest by the Government of Uganda, he then continued to protest his arrest. He later went abroad where he was involved in the creation of a documentary titled The corruption involved in the 2021 election. Upon his return to Uganda on 5 October 2023, he was arrested. The Peabody Award-winning documentary film Bobi Wine: The People's President chronicled his journey during the 2021 election.
On 7 February 2025, the NUP held an open public debate for all 10 contestants in the 2025 Kawempe North by-election, a first for Uganda. The debate was streamed live on social media. On 25 June 2025, Wine officially filed for the NUP's presidential flagbearer in the 2026 general elections in Uganda, describing the bid as a continuation of his "unfinished mission" and urged citizens to support a "protest vote" to end decades of political repression. One day after the general election, the NUP alleged that Museveni sent an army helicopter to arrest Wine as part of a larger military order to suppress Wine's supporters using "snatch squads" operating on the streets. Wine reported that he escaped the raid on his compound.
Early life and education
Bobi Wine was born Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu on 12 February 1982 to the Jackson Willington Ssentamu in a family of 34. He was born in Nkozi Hospital, where his mother, Margaret Nalunkuuma worked as a midwife. He grew up in the Kamwokya slum in the northeastern part of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda.Wine attended Kitante Hill School, where he attained his Uganda Certificate of Education in 1996, as well as Kololo Senior Secondary School, where he attained his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education in 1998. He then attended Makerere University in Kampala, where he studied music, dance, and drama, graduating with a diploma in 2003. In 2016, Wine joined the International University of East Africa for a Bachelor of Laws degree. Following the advice of his constitutional law lecturer, David Lewis Rubongoya, he transferred from IUEA, which was not fully accredited to teach law at the time, to Cavendish University, which was already accredited. He graduated from Cavendish University in August 2024.
Entertainment career
Music career
Wine and Mugisha Fadhalmul Toto started theircareer in the early 2000s, and adopted the stage name BobiRob and pr Toto, akin to his Christian given name, Robert, taking inspiration from Bob Marley who was also named Robert. He later adapted the stage name Bobi Wine. His first singles "Akagoma", "Funtula", and "Sunda" brought him success in the Ugandan music scene. His music has been characterized as kidandali, reggae, dancehall, and afrobeat, often with a socially conscious message. He was the leader of the group Fire Base Crew until its disbandment, after which he started a new group known as Ghetto Republic of Uganja. He has released more than 70 songs over 15 years. he also heads a music group called
In 2016, his song "Kiwani" was featured on the soundtrack for the Disney movie Queen of Katwe.
The Bobi Wine Edutainment
Wine developed a humanitarian and politically focused musical genre in 2006, one which entertains while also conveying educational messages, particularly to the underprivileged residents of Kampala's suburbs, including the Ghetto. Some notable works include "Ghetto", "Obuyonjo," "Obululu Tebutwawula," "Time Bomb," and others.The messages contained in these music projects were typically aimed at politicians, urging them to take greater care of the underprivileged, as well as encouraging ordinary citizens to be more responsible in their communities. Topics covered include hygiene, maternal health, abortion, child pregnancies, child marriages, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.
Wine's music resonated strongly with the public, earning him the nickname "Ghetto President" and helping him establish a prominent position in Ugandan politics later in his career.
Film career
Wine is also a film actor, mainly starring in local Ugandan movies. In 2010, he was cast in Cleopatra Koheirwe's drama film Yogera. In 2015, he was cast in a lead role in the Twaweza-supported film Situka with Hellen Lukoma. He has also worked on a number of other films, including Divizionz.Bobi Wine had his own reality TV show named The Ghetto President
He appears in the 2022 documentary Bobi Wine: The People's President directed by Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp. It was shot over five years and follows Wine and his wife on the campaign trail leading to the 2021 Presidential election. The documentary won a Peabody Award at the 84th ceremony in 2024 and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 Oscars.
Political career
In April 2017, Bobi Wine announced his candidacy for parliament in a by-election for Kyadondo County East constituency. His door-to-door walking campaign attracted attention both in Uganda and abroad. He won the contest by a wide margin, beating two seasoned candidates: Sitenda Sebalu of the ruling National Resistance Movement party and Apollo Kantinti of the main opposition party Forum for Democratic Change.In 2018, Wine gained increasing fame, championing the victories in most of the by-elections by the candidates he campaigned for, thus beating out NRM and FDC candidates.
Arua by-election incident
On 14 August 2018, supporters of the independent candidate for parliament Kassiano Wadri allegedly obstructed and attacked President Museveni's convoy in the northern town of Arua, near Gulu. Museveni's motorcade was allegedly pelted with stones, leading to clashes between security forces and protesters. Later, Wine, an outspoken critic of Museveni, revealed through a social media post that police had intentionally shot at his vehicle, killing his driver. Wine had endorsed Wadri's candidacy against the official pro-Museveni candidate in Arua. Museveni publicly blamed Bobi Wine for the incident.Bobi Wine was arrested on 15 August 2018 for possible charges of unlawful possession of firearms and incitement to violence, after which he was brought in front of a military court and charged with the former the following day. It was reported that Wine appeared to have been beaten before appearing in court. Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, a lawyer who has represented detained MPs, said that Wine was in a worrying state of health and needed urgent medical attention. The government has repeatedly denied allegations of torture. Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye called a press conference, where he demanded the MP's immediate release.
With popular protests growing in Uganda demanding Wine's release, and heated discussions in the Ugandan Parliament, the Ugandan State prosecution withdrew the charges filed during Wine's second appearance in front of the General Court Martial in Gulu on 23 August 2018. The prosecution indicated it would further pursue possible charges in a civilian court for a possible trial of the MP. Upon release, Wine was rearrested and charged with treason in a civilian court. In September 2018, Wine was released on bail and travelled to the United States for medical treatment for injuries he allegedly received in custody. The Ugandan government banned his supporters from gathering on the day of his release, and on the day of his return from the United States. He eventually addressed his supporters in a gathering outside his home upon his return to Uganda on 20 September 2018.
In August 2019, Wine was charged with "intent to alarm, annoy or ridicule" President Museveni for his role in the Arua incident the previous year. The charges came a day after the death of Ziggy Wine, a fellow Ugandan musician and staunch critic of Museveni, who was kidnapped and tortured by unknown assailants.
Anti-social media tax protest
On 22 April 2019, Wine was detained while attempting to make his way to a planned concert at his private club in southern Kampala, which was cancelled by police. He was accused of leading a protest in the city the previous year without prior police authorization; the protest was held against the "social media tax" which took effect in July 2018. On 29 April 2019, on his way to the offices of the Criminal Investigations Directorate to honour a summons and provide a statement on the cancelled concert, Wine was again arrested and taken to Buganda Road Court, where he was charged with disobedience of statutory duty and remanded to Luzira Maximum Security Prison until his bail hearing on 2 May. In a statement the following day, Amnesty International demanded his immediate release and urged the Ugandan government to "stop misusing the law in a shameless attempt to silence him for criticizing the government." On the day of the hearing, which was conducted via video conferencing, Wine was granted bail and released from prison, with the court also barring him from holding unlawful demonstrations.2021 presidential election
On 24 July 2019, Wine formally announced his bid to run for president in the 2021 general election. On 22 July 2020, he announced that he had joined the National Unity Platform party, becoming elected its president and presidential flag-bearer in the upcoming February 2021 general election. Wine was formally nominated to run for the presidency on 3 Nov 2020. Shortly after his nomination, Wine was arrested by the Ugandan military.On 6 November 2020, he launched his campaign manifesto in Mbarara after state operatives cordoned off his NUP party offices, preventing him from launching the manifesto from there as planned.
On 18 November 2020, Wine was arrested in Luuka District and detained at Nalufenya Police Station in Jinja for 3 days. According to the Daily Monitor newspaper, "Police accused Mr Kyagulanyi of having more than 200 supporters recommended by the EC to contain further spread of Covid-19."
His arrest was met by widespread demonstrations around the country, mostly in parts of Kampala, Masaka, Jinja, Mukono, Mbale and Wakiso. Although the Uganda police alleged that only 54 people were killed, human rights activists put the figure at more than 100 murdered and several others injured,
Over 2000 people were incarcerated during the subsequent protests.
Wine's bodyguard, Francis Senteza, was killed on 27 December 2020, after being run over by a truck belonging to the military police. He was attacked while helping to transport a journalist critically injured by tear gas during an earlier confrontation between the police and a group of Wine's supporters. Another journalist was also wounded in the incident.
On 16 January the electoral commission announced that Museveni won reelection with 58.6% of the vote. Wine refused to accept the results, claiming that the election was the most fraudulent in Uganda's history.
Wine was placed under house arrest on 15 January, shortly after casting his vote for the presidential election. The military surrounded his home and did not let anyone in or out for several days, despite Wine claiming he had run out of food. The U.S. ambassador to Uganda, Natalie E. Brown was not allowed to visit or leave food for him as the military blocked the convoy. Wine was released on 26 January after the Ugandan High Court ordered security forces to end the house arrest.
On 1 February, Wine challenged the 2021 elections in court, but later ordered his lawyers to withdraw the case citing bias from the judges, after photos were seen of the chief justice with President Museveni, who was the correspondent party to the lawsuit.