Barbie Kyagulanyi Speaks Out After Violent Magere Raid, Calls for Respect of Ugandan Families

Kampala, Uganda — Barbie Kyagulanyi, wife of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, today publicly addressed Ugandans after surviving a violent raid on her home in Magere, Wakiso District, that has intensified political tensions in the country.

In a statement delivered from her hospital bed, Barbie described how dozens of armed men in military uniform stormed the family residence on the night of Friday, January 23, seeking to force information out of her about her husband’s whereabouts. Bobi Wine has been in hiding since the January 15 presidential election, which he rejected as fraudulent.

She recounted that the intruders — heavily armed and wearing a mixture of army uniforms — entered the house as she was alone except for a guard at the gate. Despite being threatened, she refused to unlock her mobile phone or offer information on her husband’s location. According to Barbie, the men physically assaulted her — pulling her by the hair and banging her head against a pillar — before paramedics took her to Nsambya Hospital in Kampala, where she was being treated for bruises and trauma.

“I did not know where my husband was, and I could not comply with their demands,” she said in the address through her legal and medical team, urging calm and respect for family sanctity even in the heat of political rivalry.

The events have drawn widespread condemnation from political allies and civil society. Joel Ssenyonyi, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, denounced the overnight operation as violent and unlawful, stating that family members’ phones were seized and that the reported actions represented an “intimidation tactic” against the opposition.

ALSO READ: Security forces raid Bobi Wine home, Barbie Kyagulanyi isolated

Regional voices have also reacted. Kenyan opposition figure Martha Karua condemned the harassment of Kyagulanyi and her family as “unacceptable,” calling on regional and international bodies to take notice of the deteriorating political freedoms in Uganda.

The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has similarly criticised government agencies for what it describes as the arbitrary confinement of Kyagulanyi’s residence in Magere, warning that such actions violate constitutional protections and undermine the rule of law.

As of this morning, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and police had not provided a formal comment on the reported raid, leaving many questions unanswered about the legality and purpose of the operation.

Barbie Kyagulanyi’s address today underscores the deepening crisis in Uganda’s political landscape, as families of political figures find themselves at the centre of a conflict that has drawn international scrutiny.