2026 presidential candidate and National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has called on the European Union to impose “targeted sanctions” against the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, over what he described as continued human rights abuses in Uganda.
Speaking on Monday during a session of the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly at the European Parliament, Kyagulanyi, who is still contesting the January 15 general election results, said the EU must take a firmer stance against what he termed misrule and impunity by security forces.
Kyagulanyi, who joined the assembly via remote connection, urged the EU to stop legitimising what he called bad governance in Uganda. He argued that the bloc, which upholds high human rights standards, must ensure that its development partners adhere to the same principles.
Two weeks ago, the European Parliament adopted three resolutions on the human rights situations in Iran, Türkiye and Uganda, with 514 votes in favour, three against and 56 abstentions.
In its resolution on Uganda, the Parliament condemned what it described as widespread intimidation and detention of opposition figures and called for an end to violence and comprehensive political reforms.
“Parliament strongly condemns the conduct of the Ugandan elections on 15 January 2026, which were marred by abuses, widespread intimidation, fraud, violence and a nationwide internet blackout. MEPs are deeply concerned about the suspension of civil society groups as well as the significant threats and intimidation directed at the opposition, including National Unity Platform (NUP) leader and presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) and long-standing opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye,” the resolution reads in part.
“Parliament calls for their immediate and unconditional release and of all those arbitrarily detained and denounces the killing of NUP supporter Mesach Okello. MEPs urge the Ugandan authorities to stop resorting to military trials against civilians and ask for constitutional safeguards in judicial practices as well as for the disclosure of the whereabouts of all missing persons in the country.”
The resolution also called for comprehensive electoral and institutional reforms and urged authorities to refrain from further internet restrictions. Lawmakers asked the EU and its member states to review their cooperation with Uganda to ensure alignment with EU principles, engage critically with Ugandan authorities, and prioritise support for civil society, human rights defenders, LGBTIQ+ activists and journalists.
Parliament further called for independent and impartial investigations into alleged crimes against humanity committed by political and military leaders.
Responding to a question from German MEP J-C Oetjen on what additional measures the EU could take, Kyagulanyi said that if the bloc is unwilling to sever ties with regimes it considers dictatorial, it should at least impose targeted sanctions on individual security officials.
He suggested measures such as travel bans and asset freezes, arguing that these would single out individuals allegedly responsible for gross human rights abuses rather than penalising the country as a whole.
During the same assembly, Ugandan human rights defender Sarah Bireete told lawmakers that armed personnel stormed her home and kept guard outside her bathroom as she showered before arresting her ahead of the January general election. She said she was detained at a police station for more than 72 hours.
Bireete also accused EU diplomats in Uganda of being complicit in human rights violations through what she described as continued silence.
However, Jonas Jonsson, head of Division at the European External Action Service (EEAS) Africa department, rejected the claim, saying EU diplomats are not silent and are closely following up on the resolutions concerning Uganda.
The sanctions should be extended to those like e.g., the IGP who AID and ABET Gen Muhoozi’s transparent gross violation of human rights.
E.g., after Gen Muhoozi declared (tweeted on X) to the whole wide world (www) that 2,000 of NUP supporters was arrested during the last Gen Election, and he already killed 22 Ugandans and Hon Kyagulanyi would be the 23rd; what would a responsible Inspector General of the Police do about such announcement?
In other words, who are the 22 unfortunate Ugandans murdered in cold blood by Gen Muhoozi?
Muhoozi publicly declared that he will castrate Hon Kyagulanyi. BUT his 86-years-old AUTHOR, MASTER OF VIOLENCE and PROBLEM OF AFRICA, Gen Tibuhaburwa and “Born Again” mother, Her Majesty Kataha Museveni, did not condemn such callous threat; coming from their son and/or Chief of Défense Force means, they also NOD in a approval.
But unless he and father have already become gods; hasn’t it crossed Muhoozi’s mind that: he can easily be CASTRATED?
If in doubt let him be referred to Gaddafi’s son, Al Islam Gaddafi who was last month castrated on his doorsteps. Or Saddam Hussein’s sons, castrated side by side with their father in 2003.
In other words, never say never!
Lakwena, what has become of the ‘protest vote’? How do these sanctions actually help if they aren’t stopping the violence? While the IGP claims he doesn’t know the exact death toll from this bogus and violent 2026 election, Gen. Muhoozi openly boasted that 30 ‘terrorists’ were killed and over 2,000 ‘hooligans’ arrested. It’s business as usual, just as I predicted. Kyagulanyi and the NUP have failed to lead a real protest against this blatant rigging, leaving countless people dead, missing, or in torture chambers, while they simply collect taxpayers’ money.
In other words, the 2026 elections have returned us to a predictable state of ‘business as usual.’ Despite the talk of a protest vote, the reality is stark: Gen. Muhoozi confirmed 30 fatalities and 2,000 arrests, while the IGP remains vague on the full scale of the violence. The calls for sanctions are completely disconnected from the immediate suffering of those in detention or missing. By returning to Parliament and accepting state funding, Kyagulanyi and the NUP only interested to pass the go and collect taxpayers’ money in a system they claim to oppose, especially as they have yet to mobilize a significant response to the alleged rigging.
Lakwena, the point is, instead of leading Ugandans in a real stand against this bogus and violent election, Kyagulanyi and the NUP are settling into their roles to secure their share of taxpayers’ money. The people are left to face torture chambers alone while Kyagulanyi and NUP leadership are smiling all the way to the bank!
Remase you have a point indeed. We told them before the elections not to participate in such clearly rigged and expensive national elections for a second time! Most probably NUP is now trying to save face and join the main stream activity of the NRM to continue to govern anyhow this poor African country for many years and counting. Seriously speaking, if candidate Kyagulanyi had not participated in such dodgy national elections he would probably still be locked up in Luzira Prison anyway like his democratic friend Dr Besigye of the FDC. For him to have run away and hide will not stop this savage African government to continue to govern Uganda anyhow. One understands the LC local elections are underway by April so that NRM can make that national and international claim that the people of Uganda in the countryside, who make the majority mandate, love the NRM rule! Not only that but the majority of the people, are well prepared to continue to pay back trillion of shillings the national and international communities have been happily handing over to this dictatorship to survive the world economically!
Now that Uganda for its love of proper democratic principles, it is well trapped between a rock and a hard place. To repeat proper national elections against such undemocratic national elections after reforms have been realised, means that this long serving undemocratic government together with its proud political party of the NRM that has committed blatant electoral crimes and crimes against humanity, must not continue to participate in any proper democratic election process for over 10 years!
Kabayekka, I couldn’t agree more, To ensure truly democratic elections following the necessary reforms, there must be a period of accountability. This means that the NRM and its leadership—having presided over blatant electoral fraud and human rights violations—should be disqualified from participating in any democratic process for at least ten years. A government that undermines the democratic will cannot be allowed to transition into a new system without facing consequences for its past crimes.
In other words Remase, after committing, subversions, atrocities, terror abduction, tortures, disappearances and coldblooded murders of of innocent Ugandans for 45 years and counting (since Feb 1981); like the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Dictator Sheikh Hasina was run out of town by the Gen-Z: sentenced to death in absentia and her Political Party Banned from participating in the recent election, our 86-years-old PROBLEM OF AFRICA, Dictator Gen Tibuhaburwa and Son, the Bloody Gen Muhoozi must first be run out of town by the Gen-Z, “Sentenced to Death in Absentia”, the NRM party dissolved and banned forever from participating in any political activity in Uganda.