Bobi Wine alleges violent night raid on family home, wife hospitalised

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has alleged that heavily armed security officers raided his family home in Magere on Friday night, vandalising property and assaulting household staff.

He claimed the raid left his wife hospitalised and described the operation as brutal and politically motivated.

In a detailed post on X, Wine claimed hundreds of security personnel descended on the residence in the late hours, some dressed in elite force uniforms, others in regular military attire and several in plain clothes. 

He claimed that many of the officers appeared intoxicated and arrived equipped with ladders, suggesting they were prepared for an extensive search.

“They broke our doors and forced themselves into our house,” he wrote, alleging that the officers smashed windows, walls and doors as they stormed through the residence in search of him.

According to the account, the officers allegedly held his wife at gunpoint and demanded that she reveal his whereabouts, accusing him of hiding within the home. 

He further claimed that security personnel confiscated cash, important documents and numerous electronic devices, including mobile phones, laptops, internet equipment and surveillance systems.

“They took phones, laptops, chargers, our internet system, our CCTV system and any electronic gadget they could lay their hands on,” the opposition leader said, describing what he termed a systematic looting of the household.

He also alleged that the officers assaulted the family’s security guard and house help, forcing them to disclose information about hidden rooms and repeatedly asking where he and his children were. 

The search, he claimed, extended to every part of the house, including the ceiling.

In his post, Wine accused the officers of physically assaulting his wife when she declined to unlock her phone, adding that she was verbally abused and humiliated during the ordeal. 

He said she was later rushed to the hospital, where she remains admitted while receiving treatment for both physical injuries and psychological trauma.

“My wife is dealing with all the physical and psychological trauma,” he wrote, adding that the incident had deeply shaken the family.

Despite the incident, the opposition leader struck a defiant tone, linking the raid to his long-running political confrontation with the government. 

“Yet in all this, we remain firm in our belief that Uganda will be free,” he said.

Ugandan authorities had not issued an official response to the allegations. 

Human rights organisations have previously expressed concern over the treatment of opposition figures and their families, particularly during periods of heightened political tension.

The latest claims are expected to reignite debate over political freedoms, accountability of security agencies and the state of human rights in Uganda.