A high-ranking military official threatening to kill political opponents on social media would spark global outrage in any functioning democracy. In Uganda, it has become chillingly normalized.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba—son of dictator Yoweri Museveni and a senior military commander—has issued a series of violent threats against Ugandan opposition leader, human rights defender, and WLC founding member Bobi Wine. He has publicly declared he would “shoot [Bobi] dead” and “promote the soldier who kills him.” These are not reckless remarks; they are criminal threats from someone with real power and a known history of political repression.
This January, Muhoozi also called for the hanging of Dr. Kizza Besigye, a former presidential candidate and one of Uganda’s most respected pro-democracy figures. For decades, Dr. Besigye has been a symbol of peaceful resistance and civic courage in Uganda. Muhoozi’s call for his execution is not only grotesque—it is a direct incitement to state-sanctioned murder, and must be universally condemned.
Bobi Wine leads Uganda’s National Unity Platform (NUP), a movement grounded in the hope, resilience, and democratic aspirations of Uganda’s youth. Under his leadership, NUP has mobilized millions to call for reform, dignity, and an end to authoritarian rule. Despite enduring arrests, torture, surveillance, and threats, Bobi and his movement have remained committed to nonviolence and democratic change.
These threats are not simply against individuals—they are a strategy to intimidate an entire movement and extinguish the possibility of a democratic Uganda. The international community cannot remain passive. We call on democratic governments, parliaments, and international institutions to publicly condemn these statements and take concrete action to hold Muhoozi Kainerugaba and the Ugandan government accountable.
The World Liberty Congress stands firmly with Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform, Dr. Kizza Besigye, and the millions of Ugandans striving for a freer, fairer future. We will not be silenced. We will not look away. We will continue to speak out until those who threaten democracy are held to account.
World Liberty Congress
March 2025
