Uganda’s army chief has accused officials at the U.S. Embassy of assisting opposition leader Bobi Wine as he went into hiding, heightening political tensions days after the country’s disputed presidential election.
Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni and widely seen as his potential successor, wrote on X that what he described as “unimaginative bureaucrats” at the U.S. Embassy had for years undermined security relations between Uganda and the United States.
In posts later deleted, Kainerugaba claimed intelligence showed that Wine had “kidnapped himself” and was missing “in coordination with the current administration at the U.S. Embassy.” The embassy declined to comment.
Wine, whose legal name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, was the most prominent of seven challengers to Museveni in the Jan. 15 election. He went into hiding shortly after voting, citing fears for his safety. During the campaign, he often appeared wearing a flak jacket and helmet for the same reason.
Since then, Wine has released videos from various locations across Uganda, accusing authorities of injustice and mocking the military for failing to locate him. In one recent post, he shared footage from a visit to his family’s graveyard in a remote area of central Uganda.
