The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has strongly condemned the violent home invasion and assault of Barbara Kyagulanyi, the wife of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
The society described the incident as a dangerous escalation in civil–military relations and a “red line crossed” by state security agencies.
In a statement on January 24, 2026, ULS said the attack occurred on the night of January 23 at Kyagulanyi’s residence in Magere, Wakiso District, shortly after a ULS delegation had visited her earlier in the day to discuss modalities of lifting what it termed an eight-day house arrest.
“Following consultations with Mrs. Kyagulanyi and her legal team, it has been confirmed that armed intruders broke into her Magere residence, assaulted her, and demanded information about her husband’s whereabouts,” the statement said.
ULS said assorted documents and personal property were seized during the raid, and that Kyagulanyi sustained physical injuries and psychological trauma that required hospitalization.
The legal body squarely blamed the incident on state security forces, accusing the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, operating under police supervision, of grossly abusing their authority.
According to ULS, the incident amounted to “a blatant abuse of state power, violating fundamental rights to liberty, security, dignity, and privacy.”
“It is a deliberate attempt to intimidate and silence the opposition or to provoke civil unrest,” the statement said, linking the attack to a broader pattern of repression following a disputed election and an ongoing wave of arrests, detentions, torture, and enforced disappearances targeting members and supporters of the National Unity Platform.
The society rejected the militarisation of civilian spaces and warned against the use of national security as a justification for violence against unarmed civilians.
“No one should be subjected to violence by security forces under the pretext of national security,” the statement said.
Citing its mandate under Sections 3(d) and 3(e) of the Uganda Law Society Act, the Radical New Bar (RNB), the governing council of ULS, resolved to pursue a series of legal and institutional actions.
These include immediately petitioning a competent court to lift Kyagulanyi’s house arrest and “all unlawful restrictions” imposed on her.
The council also resolved to launch an independent investigation to collect forensic evidence with a view to filing both civil and criminal complaints against the perpetrators and their superiors.
ULS said it is exploring both domestic and international prosecution options in response to what it termed widespread human rights abuses.
In addition, the society plans to convene a national stakeholders’ dialogue to examine systemic repression, enforced disappearances, and political persecution, with the aim of holding the government accountable and charting a way forward.
ULS said it stands in solidarity with Kyagulanyi and other affected Ugandans, stressing that “the law must prevail over terror.”
