Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine and his family are once again at the centre of international condemnation following a violent raid at his home that left his wife, Barbara Itungo, and staff assaulted.
Reacting to the incident, Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, strongly criticised the Ugandan authorities, describing the attack as part of a wider pattern of state-sponsored repression linked to the ongoing political climate.
In a statement posted on X, Byanyima condemned what she termed the “continued persecution” of Bobi Wine’s family, warning that violence and intimidation undermine any claim to a democratic process.
Byanyima argued that an election environment marked by militarisation, abductions, and enforced disappearances cannot reflect the will of the people.
She also raised concern over what she described as the deliberate restriction of internet access, now stretching close to ten days, saying it was intended to silence dissent and limit scrutiny of state actions.
“This is state terror, not democracy,” Byanyima said, adding that such actions contradict the ideals many Ugandans struggled for in pursuit of a peaceful and free society.
The raid has sparked renewed debate over human rights and political freedoms in Uganda, particularly as the country approaches a tense electoral period.
Bobi Wine, a long-time critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s government, has repeatedly accused security forces of targeting him, his supporters, and his family through harassment, arrests, and violence.