Reports from local media indicate that a Ugandan radio station, initially slated to host opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, experienced a sudden interruption and went off the air before the scheduled interview. Kyagulanyi, a prominent critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s administration and leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), was expected to appear on Endigyito Radio’s mid-morning show. The incident took place around 11:45 a.m. According to the Daily Monitor newspaper, the station’s signal went silent upon Kyagulanyi’s arrival, leaving listeners perplexed.
Bonny Maridadi, the station’s manager, commented that despite the reported outage, they were receiving signals internally. He noted that the online channel was functional, yet several calls from various areas, including Kazo, claimed the radio was offline. Kyagulanyi, 41, has faced similar instances in the past where government agents prevented his radio appearances.
Later that day, Kyagulanyi addressed a gathering in the city of Mbarara and accused President Museveni, who has held power since 1986, of intimidation and attempting to suppress information. He remarked that Museveni does not want the truth to be heard and referred to the radio interruption incident. He emphasized the power of the people and divine intervention in allowing him to speak. Although the city’s commissioner denied any involvement in the radio blackout, the Uganda Communications Commission, responsible for overseeing broadcasting in the nation, asserted that it had no knowledge of signal interference.
In the January 2021 general election, Kyagulanyi secured the second position as Museveni claimed his sixth term. Kyagulanyi’s activism has often made him a target for security forces. Presently, he is on a tour across Uganda to bolster his party’s grassroots infrastructure in readiness for the upcoming 2026 elections.