Efforts to obtain an official comment from the UPDF were unsuccessful by press time. Meanwhile, Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa regional police spokesperson, said she had not received any briefing about the alleged raid.
On a humid Friday night in Kirindi Village, the quiet of Nazigo sub-county was shattered by the rumble of military trucks and the sharp command of armed men.
At around 10:00pm, soldiers from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) surrounded the home of Patrick Nsanja, the Ntenjeru North MP. Their mission, according to family members was to find Robert Kyagulanyi — better known to his supporters as Bobi Wine — whose whereabouts have remained unknown since mid-January, after the 2026 presidential election.
Inside the house, Vivian Namakobe and other family members were seated in the living room when boots pounded the compound.
“We were shocked,” she would later say. “They surrounded our home and demanded to know where Bobi Wine was.”
But the man they were looking for was not there. In fact, her brother, Patrick Nsanja — a close ally of Kyagulanyi and a member of the National Unity Platform (NUP) — was not home either.
A Disputed Election and a Disappearance
The raid came against the backdrop of a fiercely contested general election held on January 15, 2026, under an internet blackout. The Electoral Commission declared longtime incumbent Yoweri Museveni the winner with 7,946,772 votes (71.65 percent). Kyagulanyi placed second with 2,741,238 votes (24.72 percent).
Kyagulanyi rejected the results as fraudulent, citing mass failure of biometric voter verification machines, arrests of opposition polling agents, and allegations of ballot stuffing.
The day after the election results were announced, Kyagulanyi fled his home in Magere, Wakiso District, following what his supporters described as a military raid. Since then, security forces have reportedly maintained heavy deployment around his residence — a move the government has said was intended to ensure his safety.
On January 23, his wife, Barbie Itungo, reported that soldiers broke into their home searching for her husband and assaulted her. She was admitted to St. Francis Hospital in Nsambya overnight.
The Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, acknowledged that the military had raided the home but denied any assault.
Fear Spreads Through Kirindi
In Kirindi Village, the search for Kyagulanyi took on a dramatic turn.
After combing Nsanja’s home and failing to find their target, the soldiers reportedly fired live bullets into the air. The crack of gunfire sent residents scrambling indoors.
“They left our home and went to a nearby bar,” said Isma Kulube, a relative. “People ran as gunshots filled the trading centre.”
At HD Sports Bar, patrons fled as soldiers stormed in, according to local accounts. Stephen Mutyaba, the village chairman, said the night’s events have left the community shaken.
“Residents are living in fear,” he said. “We have never seen Bobi Wine here.”
By around 1:00am, the soldiers had withdrawn. But the unease lingered.
A Pattern of Raids
Several NUP supporters across the country have reported similar late-night visits, with security personnel demanding information about Kyagulanyi’s whereabouts.
Speaking by phone, Nsanja said he did not know where his party leader was. “Security is closely monitoring my movements and phone calls,” he added, his voice measured.
Efforts to obtain an official comment from the UPDF were unsuccessful by press time. Meanwhile, Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa regional police spokesperson, said she had not received any briefing about the alleged raid.
In Kirindi, doors now close earlier. Conversations fall silent at the sound of unfamiliar engines. And in the shadows of Kayunga District, one question hangs heavy in the night air: where is Bobi Wine — and who will be next to hear the knock at the door?