Bobi Wine says he’d welcome Maduro-style capture of President Museveni 

 National Unity Platform (NUP) president Bobi Wine said he would welcome a “Maduro-style” capture of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni if the long-serving leader rigs this Thursday’s election

The opposition leader, speaking at his home in Kampala on Monday, told AFP that should Museveni manipulate the vote, he would call for mass protests

He also said he was was open to direct intervention by the United States — similar to the way Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was ousted.

"Yeah. I would,” he said when asked if he would welcome a direct intervention by the US, such as seizure of Maduro.

He however, stressed that any foreign assistance should not replace Ugandans’ own responsibility to liberate their country.

In one of the most dramatic international events of early 2026, the United States launched Operation Absolute Resolve on 3 January, a large-scale military intervention in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.

 U.S. special forces, including elite Army units, conducted airstrikes and a ground operation that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores; they were subsequently flown to New York to face federal charges including drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.

Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty in U.S. court.

Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president amid widespread condemnation of the operation as a breach of international law and sovereignty.

The Venezuelan raid sparked global controversy. Allies and critics alike voiced concern at the United Nations, arguing the intervention violated the UN Charter, while several Latin American nations condemned the strikes as dangerous precedent.

Some leaders, however, celebrated Maduro’s removal as progress for democracy.

Wine’s remarks come against a backdrop of heightened political tension in Uganda, where more than 20 million voters are registered for an election that could extend Museveni’s four-decade rule.

Wine’s campaign has faced arrests of supporters and alleged repression, with international watchdogs like the United Nations and Amnesty International raising concerns ahead of the poll.

Wine acknowledged protests might prompt violent crackdowns but urged non-violent resistance, saying “non-violence defeats violence”.