The State Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, has urged the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to grant Bobi Wine a second chance, following the General’s directive to have him arrested.
"Supreme leader, give him one last chance to repent and become a good man," Minister Barugahara pleaded in response to Gen. Kainerugaba’s post on X, which read: "Ah, I'm tired of these tweets. POLICE! Arrest Kabobi immediately! Hold him until you bring him to me..."
Gen. Kainerugaba had earlier labelled Bobi Wine—whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi and who serves as president of the leading opposition party, the National Unity Platform—as a rebel unfit for the presidency.
"I personally consider Kabobi a rebel leader who is fair game for elimination," Gen. Kainerugaba, who also holds the position of senior presidential advisor, stated on X.
In another post, he wrote: "As far as I am concerned, Kabobi is a lumpen, an illegal delinquent who has never and will never qualify to stand for the high office of President of Uganda."
For the first time, Gen. Kainerugaba disclosed how Bobi Wine’s political career began. "It was actually our idea (mine and other Generals'). We convinced Mzee that we could use Kabobi to dethrone Besigye as the kingpin of the opposition. After supporting him with a lot of money (and succeeding), he started abusing us," he revealed.
Bobi Wine’s entry into politics came in April 2017 when he announced his candidacy for parliament in the Kyadondo County East by-election. His grassroots campaign resonated strongly with voters, resulting in a decisive victory over seasoned opponents from both the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the main opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
On July 24, 2019, Bobi Wine escalated his political ambitions by announcing his intention to run for president in the 2021 general election. Aligning with the National Unity Platform, he assumed its presidency and became its presidential candidate, establishing himself as a formidable challenger to Uganda’s long-time leader.