In her pajamas, Barbara Kyagulanyi defied the soldiers. “They grabbed me from behind by my pajamas,” reports the 41-year-old wife of Uganda’s opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known across Africa by his stage name Bobi Wine. “Then they squeezed my throat, picked me up and tried to force me to reveal the password to my cell phone.”
But Barbara Kyagulanyi, popularly known as “Barbie”, did not reveal the password. Instead, she continued to be abused and ended up in the hospital. There are soldiers at their door, but journalists were still able to visit them.
Uganda’s army is currently searching for her husband Bobi Wine across the country. The famous music star and opposition leader ran against long-time President Yoweri Museveni in the mid-January elections, who won with 72 percent of the vote. Wine declared the result to be fraudulent and called for protests. When security forces stormed his house, they found only his wife. Wine had managed to escape in time.
He now speaks out almost every day on social networks. The secret services are trying to find out where he is hiding. Access to Barbie’s cell phone was apparently intended to provide them with information. But she defended herself: “I kicked him and then the buttons on my pajamas ripped open.” Naked and exposed, the soldiers beat her until she lost consciousness.
The secret “First Lady” in the country
Since Wine’s political career began in 2017, Barbie has been seen as the “tough” lady in the background. In interviews, she stands close to him to whisper answers when needed. As a studied social scientist with a master’s degree in human rights issues from the University of London, she was responsible for his political strategy from the start. As a mother of four children, the pretty woman is considered the country’s secret “First Lady” by Wine’s young supporters.
As the founder of the aid organization “Caring Hearts Uganda”, she advocates for young women and tells them about the risks of HIV/AIDS Menstruationshygiene to clarify. In the first presidential campaign ahead of the 2021 elections, she surprised by leading the campaign instead of her husband. At that time, she presented an election program of the newly founded NUP (National Unity Platform) party, which focused on the role of women. Since then, the number of NUP candidates for political office has continued to grow.
Now she is once again impressing with her courage. She even defies the top army chief and son of President Museveni, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Last week, Kainerugaba threatened to kill Wine on the online platform X if he did not surrender. Then Barbie stepped in front of the cameras and showed the army chief her teeth: “Muhoozi said he wanted my husband’s testicles even though he has some of his own.” Apparently this was the trigger that provoked the 5-star general to send his special forces to Wine’s house to drag Barbie out of bed late in the evening.
But Barbie doesn’t let herself get down. In a video message she said to her husband: “I am strong and will stay strong,” she assured: “If you think I’m the one who can bring you out of hiding, then please don’t.”