Bobi Wine burst onto Uganda’s political scene ahead of a 2021 election, going from a dreadlocked ragga singer to become the figurehead of a youthful opposition, but he has faced years of brutality in his bid to unseat one of Africa’s longest-ruling leaders.The 43-year-old former music star, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, went from music videos in which he was surrounded by women and driving a Cadillac with a joint hanging out of his mouth, to becoming a member of parliament in a sharp suit.He has become the main challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has been in power for 40 years and is the only president most Ugandans have known.Wine spooked the government when he ran for the presidency in 2021, drawing vast crowds, particularly in poorer areas of the capital Kampala where he grew up.Dozens were killed as security forces sought to suppress his campaign, but Wine is running again. “We must continue to stand together to fight this… I have no doubt in my mind we will overcome,” he told a recent prayer meeting for political prisoners.Wine was arrested multiple times during his political rise, including shortly before the vote in January 2021, triggering widespread unrest.He was tortured in custody — as shown in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Bobi Wine: the People’s President”.The authorities have again responded violently to his 2026 campaign, breaking up rallies with teargas and police beatings. Rights groups say hundreds have been arrested simply for supporting Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP).- Fight against injustice -Wine grew up in one of Kampala’s biggest slums, Kamwokya, where thousands of Ugandans struggle to get by and feel forgotten by Museveni’s government.He studied music and drama at university and now lives in a wealthier neighbourhood, but still portrays himself as the “ghetto president”, a nickname he earned through his songs denouncing social and economic injustice.His modest origins and relative youth are key to his popularity in a poor country where three quarters the population are under 30.As an MP, Wine notably fought against a tax on social media, widely seen as unfair and limiting freedom of speech.Analysts say the elite around Museveni are surprised by his continued popularity, believing he had peaked in 2021.Wine has sought to broaden his appeal beyond Kampala and his native Buganda region, cannily adopting the national flag as his symbol, which has drawn the ire of the authorities.
