Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine on Friday, January 30, traded sharp words with Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni.
The confrontation unfolded across social media after Muhoozi appeared to downplay Bobi Wine’s resistance by casting him as a digital-era rebel.
"Kabobi is the first 'selfie' and Youtube rebel. Congratulations to him," Muhoozi said.
Bobi Wine responded by embracing the rebel label, presenting himself as a non-violent dissenter, and daring the state to apprehend him.
"A rebel without a gun, hiding in plain sight and yet you can’t find me because I’m concealed by the people. Catch me if you can," Bobi Wine response.
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The exchange took a darker turn after Muhoozi shared a photo of Bobi Wine’s wife, Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi, following what Bobi Wine described as her detention during a security operation.
In response, Bobi Wine accused soldiers of raiding their home and subjecting his wife to threats and coercion in an attempt to extract information about his whereabouts.
"When soldiers on his orders raided our home, they made her sit down, put her on gunpoint to reveal her phone passwords and my whereabouts, assaulted her, and eventually tore her nightdress shirt while filming," he said.
Bobi Wine went on to allege that the abuse escalated to a medical emergency, claiming the officers only left after her condition worsened and she lost consciousness.
"It was only after her blood pressure rose, and she became unconscious that these thugs left her, before she was rushed to hospital. Like she narrated, these criminals were filming everything and definitely sending them to their deranged boss," he added.
Bobi Wine further reassured supporters about his wife’s condition, saying she was recovering while expressing gratitude to those who had reached out with messages of support.
"Barbie is strong and appreciates all of you who have reached out with messages of strength and solidarity, as she tries to recover from the trauma," he continued.
Bobi Wine reflected on the personal cost of the incident, noting that the ordeal was far beyond anything his wife could have imagined when she committed to their marriage.
"Indeed, when she swore for better for worse, she never imagined these thugs placing their filthy hands on her. But it happened, and she took it with grace. She courageously confronted the criminals and refused to surrender despite the violence," he further said.
According to Bobi Wine, the pressure has not eased, with the military still occupying his residence as they continue efforts to locate him.
"Meanwhile, our home remains occupied by the military as they try to hunt me down. No one is allowed to access my home, not even family members trying to deliver basic needs like food," he noted.
Despite the accusations, Bobi Wine insisted that accountability would eventually come for those he holds responsible.
"In all this, we remain encouraged by our undying faith that Uganda will be free. Museveni and his son will one day pay for all the crimes committed against the people of Uganda," he concluded.
Elsewhere, Muhoozi has issued an apology moments after he threatened to suspend military cooperation with the United States (US).
In a statement on Friday, Muhoozi explained that he was given the wrong information, noting that he spoke to the US Ambassador, adding that the military cooperation will continue as usual.
"I want to apologise to our great friends, the United States, for my earlier tweets that I have now deleted. I was being fed wrong information. I have spoken with the US Ambassador to our country, and everything is okay. We are going to continue our military cooperation as usual," he said.
In an X post that has since been deleted, Muhoozi accused the US Embassy in Kampala of aiding Bobi Wine’s escape.
Muhoozi further threatened to suspend all cooperation with the US government, including the mission in Somalia.
