Bobi Wine Criticizes UN Secretary-General for Ignoring Human Rights Issues in Uganda

Robert Kyagulanyi, the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and widely known as Bobi Wine, has voiced strong disappointment with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Kyagulanyi condemned Guterres for his failure to address significant human rights concerns in Uganda during his visit for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) conference.

In a pointed statement, Kyagulanyi accused the Secretary-General of overlooking the plight of millions of Ugandans and others in the region suffering under what he described as the “brutal dictatorship” of President Yoweri Museveni. “It is disappointing that on your visit to Uganda, you have not spoken for the millions of Ugandans and other Africans in the region, oppressed by your host—a renowned brutal dictator, Gen. Museveni,” said Kyagulanyi.

He outlined several critical issues that he felt should have captured Guterres’ attention, including severe human rights violations, election rigging, the military trials of political opponents, the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the recent shutdown of the UN Human Rights Office by the Ugandan government.

Kyagulanyi expressed his frustration over the absence of any substantial action or condemnation from the UN Secretary-General regarding the ongoing human rights abuses in Uganda. “While you spoke at Munyonyo, opposition leaders including myself are either under house arrest, or on the run from the military. Museveni recently closed down the UN Human Rights Office. How can you come all the way and not say anything about these issues?” he questioned.

The opposition leader warned that by ignoring these pressing concerns, the United Nations risks being seen not as a protector of global values, but rather as an enabler of tyrants. “The UN must stand on the values it purports to represent. Otherwise, it’ll be reduced to a club of tyrants and attract resistance from the suffering people of the world,” he cautioned.

Kyagulanyi’s statements reflect growing frustration among Ugandan opposition leaders and activists who have long called for international intervention to address the political repression and human rights abuses under President Museveni’s long-standing regime.