Muhoozi issues 48-hour ultimatum for Bobi Wine to surrender to police

A collage of Uganda Opposition leader Bobi Wine and General Muhoozi Kainerugaba

A fresh political confrontation has erupted in Uganda after General Muhoozi Kainerugaba posted a public ultimatum giving opposition leader Bobi Wine 48 hours to surrender to the police.

The message triggered a heated response from the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader.

In his statement, Muhoozi said he was “giving [Bobi Wine] exactly 48 hours to surrender himself to the Police,” adding that failure to do so would lead to him being treated “as an outlaw or rebel.”

He also said his stance was his own, noting, “I exonerate my great and venerable father from what I'm going to do to Kabobi (Bobi Wine).”

Bobi Wine fired back hours later with a sharp rebuttal, saying the security forces had previously raided his home, which he said directly harmed him there.

“You ordered the raid on my house to harm me,” he wrote, arguing that he had “escaped” an alleged attempt to capture him.

He dismissed claims that authorities were not pursuing him, saying Muhoozi’s ultimatum contradicted earlier denials.

Bobi Wine further said the security establishment of serious acts he called “atrocities against Ugandans,” saying he would “resurface” on his own terms.

“Anyway, I will resurface when I decide. Then you and your father can do whatever you want to me. But make no mistake – You will never escape the inevitable consequences of your atrocities against the people of Uganda. This is our country!” he said.

The exchange comes after Bobi Wine claimed that military and police forces raided his home in Magere overnight, but he managed to flee, allaying widespread fears that he had been taken captive and was being held in an unknown location.

This was during the election period in the country.

In a statement on Saturday, January 17, he described the night operation as a coordinated security raid involving power cuts, interference with CCTV cameras and helicopters hovering above his residence.

“Last night (Friday night) was very difficult at our home in Magere. The military and police raided us. They switched off the power and cut off some of our CCTV cameras. There were helicopters hovering over,” he said.

Bobi Wine said he managed to escape, although his wife and other family members remain confined at the residence.

“I want to confirm that I managed to escape. Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest,” he said, adding that security forces were “looking for me everywhere”.

Ugandan police dismissed the reports, terming the claims misleading.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Kituuma Rusoke said the allegations were “deceitful and incisive allegations intended to depict the security agencies as brutal and violators of the rights of a political candidate”.

Bobi Wine attributed widespread speculation about his whereabouts to a nationwide internet shutdown and the heavy security presence at his home, which he said led neighbours to believe he had been abducted.

"Given the commotion that happened at our house at night, and given that no one is allowed to access the house, our neighbours concluded that they had succeeded in abducting us and spread the news," he said.

He accompanied his statement with photos of the alleged military raid, alleging that some were taken Friday night and others Saturday morning. The political tension in Uganda has heightened following the elections on January 15, 2026.