Emotional speech: Bobi Wine hands over NUP leadership before leaving Uganda

National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, has confirmed that he has temporarily left Uganda after spending nearly two months in hiding while security forces searched for him.

In a video message shared online, Kyagulanyi said he travelled abroad to pursue what he described as “critical engagements” and would use the trip to rally international support for Uganda’s democratic cause before returning to the country.

Kyagulanyi said that during his absence, the party will be led by his deputy president, Dr Lina Zedriga, who he noted was recently released from prison.

In the video, he thanked supporters, religious leaders and some members of the security forces whom he said helped protect him while authorities searched for him, and criticised the government for what he described as raids on homes of his associates, roadblocks across the country and the dismissal of police officers who had been assigned to his campaign.

Read the full transcript of the video below:

Fellow Ugandans and friends of Uganda all over the world, by the time you see this video, I will have left the country for some critical engagements outside Uganda. And at the right time, I will come back and continue with the cause.

I thank all of you fellow Ugandans who have concealed and protected me for all this time when the regime was looking for me. Those of you who fed me, those who clothed me, and those who offered me shelter, I will not mention your names, but God bless you.

I thank the men and women in uniform who defied the illegal orders and instead of arresting me, gave me the information that I needed to keep safe. I thank the priests who prepared mass for me and supported my spiritual life when I needed it most. I thank my family for staying strong in these tough times

I want to thank in a very special way the people of Uganda for your prayers, for your support and your encouragement. You have once again demonstrated that once you believe in something, especially an idea of liberation, you will contribute the little that you have, including risking your lives and your families to protect those that are fighting for that idea.

You did this before in the 1980s and you have done it again in 2026. And I’m sure you will continue doing it whenever it’s necessary. Just different times, different generations, but same mission, a mission to freedom.

It’s laughable that for almost two months the entire security apparatus of Uganda has invested billions of taxpayers’ money to search for me everywhere, but they failed to get me.

Why? Because the people have protected me. They have staged roadblocks everywhere, searching vehicles and even forcing motorcycle riders and their passengers to remove helmets, causing traffic jam and inconveniencing citizens, all on the orders of Museveni’s son.

They have raided homes of my comrades searching for me. I mean, just two days ago, they raided the home of my personal assistant, Comrade Don Sheriff Nakia. And when they didn’t find me or him, they abducted his wife, and she’s still missing up to the present. Good enough. All this was caught on camera. You have seen what happened to the nine police officers that were assigned to me by the electoral commission during the campaigns. They were arrested.

They were detained. And now they’ve been dismissed from the police force with disgrace. Apparently, because they did not aid the regime in spying on me and preventing me from leaving my house on the 16th of January, even when their assignment was over and they were officially withdrawn on the 15th of January. Now, I want to say this again to you, fellow citizens. We won the 2026 presidential election.

We won it and Museveni rigged it. And that is why out of shame and lack of legitimacy, him and his son are searching for me everywhere. They raided my home on the 16th of January, but I was able to escape from them. A few days later, they conducted another raid. And in this raid, they assaulted my wife and family members.

They vandalized our house. They stole various items and occupied our home. And up to now, our home is still surrounded by the military. Now, this is why I’m hiding. And that’s why I’m leaving the country for a while. We decided to fight back, not only within the country, but also internationally. And among the things that we hope to pursue are targeted sanctions against Museveni and his enablers.

We also want those countries that are funding Museveni’s killing machine to stop, and if possible, to completely cut ties with the regime in Uganda. In the recent days, we’ve been speaking on international platforms, although we’ve been doing it virtually. Now, we are going to be doing it physically.

And on that note, I want to notify the comrades and leadership in the diaspora that I will be with you in the coming days. Let us prepare to lobby, to mobilize, to organize and push back against the violations in Uganda.

And in my absence, my deputy president, Dr. Lina Zedriga, who has just been released from prison, will be acting president.

After doing my work on the international platform, I will return back to my country and let the regime do whatever they want to me in full view of the world. After all, I’ve not committed any crime. Running for president is not a crime.

For now, I ask you comrades to remain firm, to remain united and to keep the hope alive.

People power, our power. Our power, people power. For God and my country.