Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (RKS born Friday, 12th February 1982), commonly known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is a Ugandan activist, opposition leader politician, singer, lawyer and actor

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (RKS born Friday, 12th February 1982), commonly known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is a Ugandan activist, opposition leader politician, singer, lawyer and actor.
Mr. Ssentamu is a former Member of Parliament for Kyadondo County East constituency in Wakiso District, in Uganda’s Central Region.

Bobi Wine
Wine in 2024
President of the National Unity Platform
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 July 2020
Preceded by
Moses Nkonge Kibalama
Member of Parliament
for Kyadondo County East
In office
11 July 2017 – 24 May 2021
Preceded by
Apollo Katinti
Succeeded by
Muwada Nkunyingi
Personal details
Born
Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu
Friday 12th February 1982 (age 44)
Nkozi, Uganda
Party
NUP
Spouse
Barbie Kyagulanyi ​(m. 2011)​
Education
Makerere University
Cavendish University Uganda (LLB)
Website
bobiwine.ug
Ssentamu also leads the National Unity Platform (NUP) political party.
In June 2019, Ssentamu announced his candidacy for the 2021 Ugandan presidential election.
Ssentamu participated in the 2021 election, in which, according to official results, he lost to incumbent Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
As of January 2026, he maintains that this result was fraudulent.
On 14 December 2021, he was placed under house arrest by the Government of Uganda, he then continued to protest his arrest Ssentamu later went abroad where he was involved in the creation of a documentary titled The corruption involved in the 2021 election.
Upon his return to Uganda on Thursday, 5th October 2023, Ssentamu was arrested.
The Peabody Award-winning documentary film Bobi Wine: The People’s President chronicled his journey during the 2021 election.

On Friday, 7 February 2025, the NUP held an open public debate for all 10 contestants in the 2025 Kawempe North by-election, a first for Uganda.
The debate was streamed live on social media.
On Wednesday, 25th June 2025, Wine officially filed for the NUP’s presidential flagbearer in the 2026 general elections in Uganda, describing the bid as a continuation of his “unfinished mission” and urged citizens to support a “protest vote” to end decades of political repression. One day after the general election, the NUP alleged that Museveni sent an army helicopter to arrest Wine as part of a larger military order to suppress Wine’s supporters using “snatch squads” operating on the streets. Wine reported that he escaped the raid on his compound.

Early life and education

Bobi Wine was born Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu on Friday 12 February 1982 to the Jackson Willington Ssentamu in a family of 34.
Ssentamu was born in Nkozi Hospital, where his mother, Margaret Nalunkuuma worked as a midwife.
Ssentamu grew up in the Kamwokya slum in the northeastern part of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda.

Wine attended Kitante Hill School, where he attained his Uganda Certificate of Education in 1996, as well as Kololo Senior Secondary School, where he attained his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education in 1998. Ssentamu then attended Makerere University in Kampala, where he studied music, dance, and drama, graduating with a diploma in 2003.
In 2016, Wine joined the International University of East Africa for a Bachelor of Laws degree.
Following the advice of his constitutional law lecturer, David Lewis Rubongoya, Ssentamu transferred from IUEA, which was not fully accredited to teach law at the time, to Cavendish University, which was already accredited.
Ssentamu graduated from Cavendish University in August 2024.

Entertainment – Music career

Wine and Mugisha Fadhalmul Toto started their career in the early 2000s, and adopted the stage name BobiRob and pr Toto, akin to his Christian given name, Robert, taking inspiration from Bob Marley who was also named Robert.
He later adapted the stage name Bobi Wine. His first singles “Akagoma”, “Funtula”, and “Sunda” (featuring Ziggy D) brought him success in the Ugandan music scene.
Ssentamu’s music has been characterized as kidandali, reggae, dancehall, and afrobeat, often with a socially conscious message.
Ssentamu was the leader of the group Fire Base Crew until its disbandment, after which he started a new group known as Ghetto Republic of Uganja.
He has released more than 70 songs over 15 years. Ssentamu also heads a music group called Fire Base

In 2016, Ssentamu’s song “Kiwani” was featured on the soundtrack for the Disney movie Queen of Katwe.

The Bobi Wine Edutainment

Bobi Wine
Wine developed a humanitarian and politically focused musical genre in 2006, one which entertains while also conveying educational messages, particularly to the underprivileged residents of Kampala’s suburbs, including the Ghetto. Some notable works include “Ghetto” (featuring Nubian Li), “Obuyonjo,” “Obululu Tebutwawula,” “Time Bomb,” and others.

The messages contained in these music projects were typically aimed at politicians, urging them to take greater care of the underprivileged, as well as encouraging ordinary citizens to be more responsible in their communities.
Topics covered include hygiene, maternal health, abortion, child pregnancies, child marriages, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.

Wine’s music resonated strongly with the public, earning him the nickname “Ghetto President” and helping him establish a prominent position in Ugandan politics later in his career.

Film career

Wine is also a film actor, mainly starring in local Ugandan movies.
In 2010, Ssentamu was cast in Cleopatra Koheirwe’s drama film Yogera.
In 2015, Ssentamu was cast in a lead role in the Twaweza-supported film Situka with Hellen Lukoma.
Ssentamu has also worked on a number of other films, including Divizionz.

Bobi Wine had his own reality TV show named The Ghetto President.

Ssentamu appears in the 2022 documentary Bobi Wine: The People’s President directed by Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp. It was shot over five years and follows Wine and his wife on the campaign trail leading to the 2021 Presidential election.
The documentary won a Peabody Award at the 84th ceremony in 2024 and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 Oscars.

Political career

In April 2017, Bobi Wine announced his candidacy for parliament in a by-election for Kyadondo County East constituency.
His door-to-door walking campaign attracted attention both in Uganda and abroad.
Ssentamu won the contest by a wide margin, beating two seasoned candidates: Sitenda Sebalu of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and Apollo Kantinti of the main opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

Bobi Wine interacting with Nalukola

In 2018, Wine gained increasing fame, championing the victories in most of the by-elections by the candidates he campaigned for, thus beating out NRM and FDC candidates.

Arua by-election incident

On Tuesday 14th August, 2018, supporters of the independent candidate for parliament Kassiano Wadri allegedly obstructed and attacked President Museveni’s convoy in the northern town of Arua, near Gulu.
Museveni’s motorcade was allegedly pelted with stones, leading to clashes between security forces and protesters.
Later, Wine, an outspoken critic of Museveni, revealed through a social media post that police had intentionally shot at his vehicle, killing his driver.
Wine had endorsed Wadri’s candidacy against the official pro-Museveni candidate in Arua.
Museveni publicly blamed Bobi Wine for the incident.

Bobi Wine was arrested on Friday, 15th August 2018 for possible charges of unlawful possession of firearms and incitement to violence, after which he was brought in front of a military court and charged with the former the following day. It was reported that Wine appeared to have been beaten before appearing in court.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, a lawyer who has represented detained MPs, said that Wine was in a worrying state of health and needed urgent medical attention.
The government has repeatedly denied allegations of torture. Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye called a press conference, where he demanded the MP’s immediate release.

With popular protests growing in Uganda demanding Wine’s release, and heated discussions in the Ugandan Parliament, the Ugandan State prosecution withdrew the charges filed during Wine’s second appearance in front of the General Court Martial in Gulu on Thursday 23rd August 2018. The prosecution indicated it would further pursue possible charges in a civilian court for a possible trial of the MP.
Upon release, Wine was rearrested and charged with treason in a civilian court.
In September 2018, Wine was released on bail and travelled to the United States for medical treatment for injuries he allegedly received in custody. The Ugandan government banned his supporters from gathering on the day of his release, and on the day of his return from the United States.
Wine eventually addressed his supporters in a gathering outside his home upon his return to Uganda on Thursday, 20th September, 2018.

In August 2019, Wine was charged with “intent to alarm, annoy or ridicule” President Museveni for his role in the Arua incident the previous year. The charges came a day after the death of Ziggy Wine, a fellow Ugandan musician and staunch critic of Museveni, who was kidnapped and tortured by unknown assailants.

Anti-social media tax protest

On Monday, 22nd April 2019, Wine was detained while attempting to make his way to a planned concert at his private club in southern Kampala, which was cancelled by police.
Bobi Wine was accused of leading a protest in the city the previous year without prior police authorization; the protest was held against the “social media tax” which took effect in July 2018.
On Thursday 29 April 2019, on his way to the offices of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to honour a summons and provide a statement on the cancelled concert, Wine was again arrested and taken to Buganda Road Court, where he was charged with disobedience of statutory duty and remanded to Luzira Maximum Security Prison until his bail hearing on Monday 2 May 2019. In a statement the following day, Amnesty International demanded his immediate release and urged the Ugandan government to “stop misusing the law in a shameless attempt to silence him for criticizing the government.” On the day of the hearing, which was conducted via video conferencing (the first time in the history of Uganda’s justice system), Wine was granted bail and released from prison, with the court also barring him from holding unlawful demonstrations.

2021 presidential election

Main article: 2021 Ugandan general election
On Wednesday 24th July 2019, Wine formally announced his bid to run for president in the 2021 general election.
On Wednesday 22nd July 2020, he announced that he had joined the National Unity Platform party, becoming elected its president and presidential flag-bearer in the upcoming February 2021 general election.
Wine was formally nominated to run for the presidency on Tuesday 3 November 2020. Shortly after his nomination, Wine was arrested by the Ugandan military.

On Friday 6 November 2020, he launched his campaign manifesto in Mbarara (western Uganda) after state operatives cordoned off his NUP party offices, preventing him from launching the manifesto from there as planned.

On Wednesday 18 November 2020, Wine was arrested in Luuka District (Eastern Uganda) and detained at Nalufenya Police Station in Jinja for 3 days.
According to the Daily Monitor newspaper, “Police accused Mr Kyagulanyi of having more than 200 supporters recommended by the EC to contain further spread of COVID-19.”

His arrest was met by widespread demonstrations around the country, mostly in parts of Kampala, Masaka, Jinja, Mukono, Mbale and Wakiso. Although the Uganda police alleged that only 54 people were killed, human rights activists put the figure at more than 100 murdered and several others injured,

Over 2000 people were incarcerated during the subsequent protests.

Wine’s bodyguard, Francis Senteza, was killed on Sunday, 27th December 2020, after being run over by a truck belonging to the military police.
Mr. Senteza was attacked while helping to transport a journalist critically injured by tear gas during an earlier confrontation between the police and a group of Wine’s supporters. Another journalist was also wounded in the incident.

On Saturday 16 January 2021 the electoral commission announced that Museveni won reelection with 58.6% of the vote. Wine refused to accept the results, claiming that the election was the most fraudulent in Uganda’s history.

Wine was placed under house arrest on Friday 15 January, 2021 shortly after casting his vote for the presidential election. The military surrounded his home and did not let anyone in or out for several days, despite Wine claiming he had run out of food.

The U.S. ambassador to Uganda, Natalie E. Brown was not allowed to visit or leave food for him as the military blocked the convoy. Wine was released on Tuesday 26 January 2021 after the Ugandan High Court ordered security forces to end the house arrest.
On Monday 1 February, 2021, Wine challenged the 2021 elections in court, but later ordered his lawyers to withdraw the case citing bias from the judges, after photos were seen of the chief justice with President Museveni, who was the correspondent party to the lawsuit.

Tear gas injury

On Tuesday 3 September 2024, Bobi Wine was injured after being shot in his left leg with a tear gas canister by police during a confrontation in Bulindo, Kira in Wakiso District.

2026 presidential election

Bobi Wine again sought to unseat Yoweri Museveni by running in the 2026 presidential elections.

On Wednesday 24 September 2025, he was nominated as the National Unity Platform Presidency flagbearer by the Electoral Commission ahead of the 2026 general elections.

On Saturday, 6th December 2025, Bobi Wine and several supporters and staff were attacked and beaten by security forces while campaigning in Gulu.

On Friday 16 January 2026, Wine was reportedly abducted by Ugandan army forces following deadly protests after the election.
However, Wine said that he was in hiding following a raid by security forces on his home. On Saturday, January 17, 2026Wine was declared to have lost the election with 24.72% of the vote. International observers denounced voter intimidation and accused the government of instilling fear.
On Monday 19 January, military commander Muhoozi Kainerugaba issued a 48-hour ultimatum for Wine’s surrender.
As of Friday January 23, 2026 Wine was in hiding.
Wine alleged that soldiers invaded his residence, held his wife Barbara Kyagulanyi at gunpoint, partially stripped her, choked her, and that she was subsequently hospitalized; the soldiers also took money, documents, and electronics.

Humanitarian work

Wine has supported several practical projects to improve conditions for the poor.
In 2012, he started a campaign to promote more regular cleaning in hospitals, sanitation, garbage management, and hand-washing to prevent disease.
A YouTube video from September 2012 shows him joining Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago in cleaning up Kamwookya, the slum neighborhood where Wine grew up.
The same year, he also donated funds to build pit latrines and construct a drainage channel in Kisenyi II, a Kampala slum that the New Vision described as being “characterized by filth, crowded shanty structures, poor sanitation and lack of basic social facilities.” Wine explained that he embarked on the project “because these are my people, and no matter where I go, this will always be home.”

He has also campaigned for malaria prevention, with donations to Nakasongola Health Centre, and references to the disease in his songs.

In August 2013, Wine visited the Bundibugyo Refugee Camp in Bundibugyo District, along with representatives from Save the Children, UNHCR, and the Red Cross, to deliver funds and supplies.
The following month, he was named as a parenting ambassador by Twaweza, an NGO that focuses on education and citizen engagement in East Africa; his message in this partnership was to promote responsible parenting among his Ugandan fans. In an interview about the project, he said that “education is what will ultimately change the course of our country and as an artist and a father, I believe we can all make a difference in our children’s learning.”

In 2014, Wine was named as an ambassador for Save the Children’s EVERY ONE campaign, joining a team of 14 Ugandan artists who recorded a special song and video about maternal and child health. Other leading artists in the video included Jose Chameleone, and Radio and Weasel, who made up the Goodlyfe Crew.
Wine and his wife Barbara travelled to hospitals throughout Uganda, including Nakaseke Hospital, meeting with midwives and health workers to popularize the campaign.
Save the Children also took him to other regions for the campaign, including Nyumanzi Refugee Settlement in northwestern Uganda for South Sudanese people.
Currently, Bobi Wine is the Patron of a girls and teen mothers empowerment Non-Government Organization called Caring Hearts Uganda, founded by his wife Barbie Kyagulanyi.

Wine was scheduled to perform a show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Saturday 8 October 2022, and the proceeds from the show were going to be used to repatriate Ugandans stranded in the United Arab Emirates. However, the show was canceled by the United Arab Emirates government on unknown grounds and upon arrival in Dubai, Wine was detained at the airport for ten hours. He was later released and he spoke to his supporters.

Controversies

Learn more
This “criticism” or “controversy” section may compromise the article’s neutrality. (December 2024)
Wine is often outspoken about political and social issues in Uganda, generating some controversy. Until January 2019, he had a long-standing feud with fellow Ugandan musician Bebe Cool, who has sung in support of President Museveni and the NRM, while Wine has supported opposition interests.

In July 2014, it was announced that Wine was to perform in the United Kingdom at The Drum Arts Centre in Birmingham and the Troxy in London.
This led to calls for a ban because of his lyrics expressing opinions against homosexuality.
Both venues subsequently cancelled Wine’s appearances.
In a May 2016 Twitter exchange with ULC Monastery LGBTI, an American Christian group that promotes tolerance toward the LGBT community, Wine suggested that he had moved away from his previous homophobic comments, but did not specifically state that his views on homosexuality had changed.
In 2023, the United Kingdom’s travel ban against Wine, imposed in 2014, was lifted.

In 2015, Wine publicly defended the Buganda kingdom’s fundraising efforts when it was harshly criticized by the outspoken Sheikh Muzaata, stirring up a war of words.
Wine has at times been known as Omubanda wa Kabaka (the King’s Rogue) for his devotion to the Kabaka (King) of Buganda.

In April 2016, when Uganda’s only radiotherapy machine in Mulago broke down, Wine took a leading position in widespread public anger at the slow official response and posted a critique of the government’s handling of public health care, challenging the country’s leaders to make better use of citizens’ taxes.

Throughout the 2015–16 election period, Wine refocused his messages to call for tolerance of different views. Wine’s public calls for calm activism during the 2016 election, with songs such as “Dembe”, provoked mixed reactions from different political interests in Uganda. During this period, the Uganda Communications Commission denied that it had banned “Dembe” from Ugandan radio. Three months after the election, the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Deborah R. Malac invited Wine to a formal embassy event and commented that he was a positive influence for local youth.

When the Ugandan government turned off social media during the 2016 election, Wine used a virtual private network to post his defiance to the communications shutdown on his Facebook page while also pointing out that the government continued to use social media during the shutdown they initiated.
Wine was later chosen as a panellist to speak about freedom of expression on World Press Freedom Day in Kampala in May 2016.
In March 2016, he defended the right of his artistic rivals to express views that Wine himself does not support.

In August 2020, Wine was dragged to court on charges of falsifying information, obtaining registration by false pretence and uttering false documents.

On Tuesday 3 November 2020, Wine was arrested after his nomination to the election body for the upcoming general election was certified. A statement on his official Twitter account said he was violently arrested outside the nomination venue, temporarily blinded and brutalised by police and the military.

Personal life

While studying at Makerere University, Wine met his wife, Barbara Itungo, also known as Barbie, who at the time was an S6 student at Bweranyangi Girls’ Senior Secondary School. Their wedding took place in August 2011 after ten years of living together. They have four children.
Wine and his family reside in Magere Village, Wakiso District, where he ensures they “go together to dig and get food, whenever we can. I do that because I want them to learn to live an ordinary life, not as a celebrity’s children.”

On Tuesday, 10 February 2015, Wine’s father Jackson Wellington Ssentamu died after a lengthy battle with diabetes.
The vigil and burial attracted hundreds of mourners including government officials and other celebrities.
One month later, Wine released the song “Paradiso”, about valuing your parents while they are still alive.

Wine was featured in a 2022 documentary film entitled Bobi Wine: The People’s President, which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
Wine is Catholic.

Accolades

Awards and nominations
edit
Sourcer:

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2005 Pearl of Africa Music Awards Song of the Year “Mama Mbiire” (with Juliana Kanyomozi) Won
2006 Pearl of Africa Music Awards Best Afro Beat Single “Bada” Won
Artist of the Year Bobi Wine Won
Tanzania Music Awards Best East African Album Mama Mbiire Nominated
2007 Pearl of Africa Music Awards Best Afro Beat Single “Kiwani” Won
Best Afro Beat Artiste/Group Bobi Wine Won
Kisima Music Awards Best Song Uganda “Bada” Nominated
2008 Pearl of Africa Music Awards Best Afro Beat Artiste/Group Bobi Wine Won
2009 MTV Africa Music Awards Best Video “Little Things You Do” (Wahu featuring Bobi Wine) Nominated
2013 HiPipo Music Awards Artist of the Year Bobi Wine Nominated
Best Male Artist Bobi Wine Nominated
Best Ragga/Dancehall Song “By Far” Nominated
Best Afrobeat Song “Jennifer” Won
2018 Zzina Awards Afro-Beat Song of the Year “Kyarenga” Nominated
Male Artiste of the Year Bobi Wine Won
Artiste of the Year Bobi Wine Nominated
Song of the Year “Kyarenga” Won
Other honours

2018 Africanews Personality of the Year
2019 Foreign Policy Global Thinkers
2019 Rainbow/PUSH International Humanitarian Award
2019 Friedrich Naumann Foundation Africa Freedom Prize
2021 Bobi Wine was announced as the Outstanding Entrepreneurial Artist by Janzi Awards[inappropriate external link?]
2022 Bobi was named Ugandan honoree at Forty Under 40 Africa awards in Accra Ghana.
Discography
edit
Discography adapted from Spotify.

Albums

2015: Bobi Wange
2015: Hosanah
2015: Kansubize
2015: Ontabira
2015: Sweet
2018: Kyarenga
Singles and extended plays

2015: “Ayagala Mulaasi”
2017: “Freedom”
2018: “Kyarenga”
2019: “Tuliyambala Engule”
2020: “Corona Virus Alert”
Filmography
References
External links
Last edited 11 days ago by ~2026-96729-6
Related articles
National Unity Platform
Ugandan political party
Barbie Kyagulanyi
Ugandan author and activist (born 1984)
2026 Ugandan general election
Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundation

About The Author