Bobi Wine calls for release of Ugandan political prisoners in Washington

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine joined Winnie Byanyima at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to mark the International Day of Political Prisoners on October 30, 2026. The event, organized by the National Endowment for Democracy and the October 30 Coalition, aimed to rally international support for detainees in Uganda and globally.

Bobi Wine specifically highlighted the case of Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, a deputy spokesperson for the National Unity Platform, who has been detained for nearly a year. Wine described the detention as political repression and noted the personal toll on Mufumbiro, who was unable to attend his wife’s funeral in April 2026 due to his incarceration. Wine also contested the results of the Nakawa East legislative election, alleging that Mufumbiro’s victory was improperly awarded to another candidate.

Winnie Byanyima, wife of jailed opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye, used the platform to draw attention to her husband’s detention and declining health. The gathering included other international figures, such as Rwanda’s Paul Rusesabagina and Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, to share experiences regarding political imprisonment.