Bobi Wine. Credit : NUP
Uganda’s opposition leader and National Unity Platform (NUP) president Bobi Wine has used his New Year address to renew accusations of human rights abuses by the government, citing cases of abductions, prolonged detention, and alleged torture of opposition supporters.
In a statement shared on X, Bobi Wine said the start of the new year should prompt Ugandans to remember those who lost their lives in 2025, as well as individuals he claims were abducted, tortured, forced into exile, or intimidated into silence for backing what he described as the struggle for a “New Uganda.”
The NUP leader singled out Eddie Mutwe, a close aide, whom he said was abducted on April 27, 2025, and tortured before being remanded in prison.
Bobi Wine claimed Mutwe remains in custody without medical treatment or trial.
He also highlighted the cases of Machete Yasin and Ashraf Kalanzi, alleging that they have spent five years at Kitalya Prison without being formally tried.
According to Bobi Wine, several other NUP members and supporters remain behind bars or face continued harassment.
He mentioned Deputy Spokesperson Waiswa Mufumbiro, as well as Olivia Lutaaya, Achileo Kivumbi, and Bobi Young, describing them as victims of what he termed politically motivated persecution.
The opposition leader also revisited the detention of veteran politician Dr Kizza Besigye.
He claimed that Besigye was abducted from Kenya on November 16, 2024, forcibly returned to Uganda, and jailed, where he allegedly remains to date.
Bobi Wine’s remarks add to longstanding claims by opposition figures that security agencies are being used to suppress dissent.
The Ugandan government has previously denied allegations of abductions and unlawful detention, maintaining that arrests are conducted within the law and are based on security concerns.
As 2026 begins, Bobi Wine said accountability and justice for detained opposition supporters would remain a central demand of his movement.