Police have completely withdrawn from the private residence of National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, in Magere, Wakiso District, ending a heavy two-month deployment that had effectively turned the property into a restricted zone.
When this publication visited the Magere home on Tuesday afternoon, there were no visible police officers, military personnel, or roadblocks anywhere on or around the property.
The once heavily guarded residence was free of security presence, and local residents confirmed that the last security vehicles left the area early Tuesday morning.
The withdrawal directly contradicts the position police commanders presented before a parliamentary committee only weeks ago, where they insisted the heavy deployment around Bobi Wine home was purely “for security purposes” to protect the premises and prevent any breach of peace.
No official explanation has been issued by the Uganda Police Force or the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the sudden withdrawal.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Katumba could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.
The sudden and complete vacating of the residence has sparked speculation among political observers that the move could be linked to ongoing back-channel negotiations between the National Unity Platform and the government.
The siege began on election day, 15 January 2026, when army and police surrounded Robert Kyagulanyi’s residence in Magere following the disputed presidential vote that kept Yoweri Museveni in power.
Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, rejected the results as fraudulent, went into hiding, and fled abroad before resurfacing in the U.S.
This two-month deployment followed immediately after the election results were announced, creating a situation where the private home became a focal point of the post-election controversy. This action by the security forces was part of the response to the disputed vote that the opposition leader and his supporters have rejected outright.
The circumstances surrounding the initial surrounding of the residence have remained a point of contention since the beginning of the year.
In a recent interview, he cited ongoing threats from the army commander and insisted his fight belongs in Uganda, calling for international sanctions while denying reports of secret return deals. The NUP dismissed negotiation claims as baseless, as speculation grows about his next move amid a pending lawsuit over the siege.
The NUP president has been vocal about the threats he faces, using his platform in the U.S. to highlight the situation back home. His call for international sanctions is aimed at putting pressure on the authorities to ensure fair political processes in Uganda. Denying any secret return deals shows his commitment to open and honest political engagement.
The party’s dismissal of the negotiation claims reinforces their position that no such discussions are taking place behind the scenes. The pending lawsuit is expected to examine the details of the siege and its legality in the context of the post-election period.
