Kampala | July 21, 2025 — Fresh tensions are said to be brewing within Uganda’s top security organs following reported failed attempts by Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba to have National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, arrested.
Highly placed sources reveal that Gen. Muhoozi, who is also President Museveni’s son, issued a direct order to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abas Byakagaba during a phone call, instructing him to arrest Bobi Wine amid the controversy surrounding the detention of some of his bodyguards.
According to insiders, Byakagaba initially agreed but later consulted President Yoweri Museveni on the matter. When Museveni asked what crime Bobi Wine had committed, the IGP reportedly admitted he was unaware of any specific offense. The President then advised against carrying out the arrest without justifiable cause.
Sources claim the President’s guidance infuriated Gen. Muhoozi, who subsequently instructed military police commandos to proceed with the arrest instead. However, the military officers also contacted IGP Byakagaba and were advised against acting—on grounds that the Commander-in-Chief had declined the move.
This internal standoff has reportedly left Gen. Muhoozi bitter and frustrated, with sources indicating that he is increasingly concerned about Bobi Wine’s growing influence and what he sees as “clandestine” plans to take state power—potentially threatening the ruling family’s grip on power and the lifestyle they’ve enjoyed for decades.
Observers note that Museveni has become more cautious in recent years, especially after facing backlash over the arrest of Dr. Kizza Besigye in Nairobi and the controversial detention of Bobi Wine in Luuka during the 2021 campaign trail—both of which sparked international condemnation and dented Uganda’s image.
As political temperatures begin to rise ahead of 2026, this reported fallout among top security figures points to deeper cracks in the state’s approach to handling opposition voices, particularly the ever-resilient Bobi Wine.
