Bobi Wine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bobi Wine
Wine in 2024
President of the National Unity Platform
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 July 2020
Preceded by	Moses Nkonge Kibalama
Member of Parliament for Kyadondo County East
In office 11 July 2017 – 24 May 2021
Preceded by	Apollo Katinti
Succeeded by	Muwada Nkunyingi
Personal details
Born	Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (1982-02-12) 12 February 1982 (age 43) Nkozi, Uganda
Nationality	Uganda
Political party	NUP
Spouse	Barbie Kyagulanyi ​ (m. 2011)​
Relations	Ssentamu Churchill James (nephew)
Children	4
Education	Makerere University (Diploma in Music, Dance, and Drama) Cavendish University Uganda (Bachelor of Laws)

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (born 12 February 1982), known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is a Ugandan activist, politician, singer, lawyer, and actor. He was a Member of Parliament for the Kyadondo County East area in Wakiso District, Uganda.

He also leads the National Unity Platform political party. In June 2019, he announced he would run for president in the 2021 Ugandan general election. He took part in the 2021 election. Official results showed he lost to the current president, Yoweri Museveni, but Bobi Wine said the results were not fair.

On 14 December 2021, the Government of Uganda placed him under house arrest. He continued to protest his arrest. He later traveled abroad and shared information about the 2021 election through a documentary. When he returned to Uganda on 5 October 2023, he was arrested. The Peabody Award-winning documentary film Bobi Wine: The People's President showed his difficult journey during the 2021 election. On 7 February 2025, the National Unity Platform held a public debate for candidates in the 2025 Kawempe North by-election. This was a first for Uganda and was streamed live online. On 25 June 2025, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu officially applied to be the National Unity Platform's presidential candidate for the 2026 general elections in Uganda.

Early Life and Education

Kyagulanyi was born on 12 February 1982. He grew up in the Kamwokya slum in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. His mother, Margaret Nalunkuuma, worked as a midwife at Nkozi Hospital, where he was born.

He went to Kitante Hill School and Kololo Senior Secondary School. Later, he studied music, dance, and drama at Makerere University in Kampala, finishing in 2003. In 2016, Kyagulanyi began studying for a law degree. He later moved to Cavendish University Uganda and graduated in August 2024.

Entertainment Career

Music Career

Kyagulanyi started his music career in the early 2000s. He first used the stage name BobiRob, inspired by Bob Marley. He later changed it to Bobi Wine. His early songs like "Akagoma" and "Funtula" became very popular in Uganda.

His music style includes kidandali, reggae, dancehall, and afrobeat. Many of his songs carry important social messages. He led a music group called Fire Base Crew, and later started a new group called Ghetto Republic of Uganja. He has released over 70 songs.

In 2016, his song "Kiwani" was part of the music for the Disney movie Queen of Katwe.

Music with a Message

Bobi Wine

In 2006, Bobi Wine started making music that not only entertains but also teaches important lessons. This was especially for people living in poorer areas of Kampala, known as the Ghetto. Some of his famous songs with messages include "Ghetto" and "Time Bomb."

These songs often spoke to politicians, asking them to care more for people in need. They also encouraged regular citizens to be more responsible in their communities. Topics covered included cleanliness, health for mothers, child pregnancies, child marriages, and domestic violence.

Bobi Wine's music was very popular with the public. This led to him being called "Ghetto President" and helped him become a well-known figure in Ugandan politics.

Film Career

Kyagulanyi is also an actor in Ugandan films. In 2010, he acted in the drama film Yogera. In 2015, he played a main role in the film Situka. He also worked on other films, including Divizionz.

Bobi Wine had his own reality TV show called The Ghetto President.

He appeared in the 2022 documentary Bobi Wine: The People's President. This film was shot over five years and shows Bobi Wine and his wife during the 2021 presidential election campaign. The documentary won a Peabody Award in 2024 and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 Oscars.

Political Career

In April 2017, Kyagulanyi announced he would run for a seat in parliament. He campaigned by walking door-to-door, which got a lot of attention. He won the election by a large number of votes. He beat two experienced candidates from the ruling party and the main opposition party.

Bobi Wine interacting with Nalukola

In 2018, Kyagulanyi became even more famous. He helped candidates he supported win many local elections, beating candidates from the main political parties.

Arua By-election Incident

On 14 August 2018, supporters of an independent candidate for parliament were said to have attacked President Museveni's convoy in Arua. This led to clashes between security forces and protesters. Bobi Wine, who often spoke against Museveni, said that police shot at his car, killing his driver. Bobi Wine had supported the independent candidate. President Museveni publicly blamed Bobi Wine for the incident.

Kyagulanyi was arrested on 15 August 2018. He was charged with having illegal firearms and encouraging violence. Reports said he looked like he had been beaten before appearing in court. Lawyers said he needed urgent medical help. The government said he was not tortured. Other opposition leaders asked for his release.

Many protests happened in Uganda asking for Bobi Wine's release. The charges against him were later dropped in a military court. However, he was then arrested again and charged with treason in a civilian court. In September 2018, Kyagulanyi was released on bail. He traveled to the United States for medical treatment for injuries he said he got while in custody. The Ugandan government stopped his supporters from gathering when he was released and when he returned. He still spoke to his supporters outside his home when he came back to Uganda on 20 September 2018.

In August 2019, Kyagulanyi was charged with trying to "alarm, annoy or ridicule" President Museveni. This was about the Arua incident from the year before. These charges came after another Ugandan musician, Ziggy Wine, who was a critic of Museveni, was kidnapped and tortured.

Anti-Social Media Tax Protest

On 22 April 2019, Kyagulanyi was stopped by police while trying to go to a concert at his club in Kampala. The concert was canceled. He was accused of leading a protest the year before without police permission. This protest was against a "social media tax" that started in July 2018. On 29 April 2019, Kyagulanyi was arrested again on his way to give a statement about the canceled concert. He was charged with not following legal duties and sent to Luzira Maximum Security Prison.

Amnesty International asked for his immediate release. They said the Ugandan government was "misusing the law" to silence him. On 2 May, Kyagulanyi was granted bail and released from prison. The court also told him not to hold illegal protests.

2021 Presidential Election

On 24 July 2019, Kyagulanyi officially announced he would run for president in the 2021 election. On 22 July 2020, he joined the National Unity Platform party. He became its president and the party's candidate for the February 2021 election. Kyagulanyi was officially nominated to run for president on 3 November 2020. Soon after his nomination, the Ugandan military arrested him.

On 6 November 2020, he launched his campaign plan in Mbarara. This happened after government workers blocked his party offices, stopping him from launching it there as planned.

On 18 November 2020, Kyagulanyi was arrested in Luuka District and held at Nalufenya Police Station for three days. Police said he had more than 200 supporters, which was more than allowed due to COVID-19 rules.

His arrest led to many protests across the country. Human rights groups said over 100 people were killed and many injured during these protests. More than 2000 people were put in jail.

Kyagulanyi's bodyguard, Francis Senteza, was killed on 27 December 2020. He was hit by a military police truck while helping a journalist who was hurt by tear gas. Another journalist was also injured.

On 16 January, the election commission announced that Museveni had won the election with 58.6% of the votes. Kyagulanyi said he would not accept the results, calling the election the most unfair in Uganda's history.

Kyagulanyi was placed under house arrest on 15 January, right after he voted. The military surrounded his home and did not let anyone in or out for several days. The U.S. ambassador was not allowed to visit him. Kyagulanyi was released on 26 January after a court ordered security forces to end the house arrest.

On 1 February, Kyagulanyi challenged the 2021 election results in court. But he later told his lawyers to withdraw the case. He said this was because he felt the judges were biased, after photos showed the chief justice with President Museveni.

Tear Gas Injury

On 3 September 2024, Bobi Wine was injured. Police shot him in his left leg with a tear gas canister during a disagreement in Bulindo, Kira in Wakiso District.

Humanitarian Work

Kyagulanyi has supported many projects to help poor people. In 2012, he started a campaign to encourage better cleaning in hospitals, good hygiene, and hand-washing to stop diseases. He joined the Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, to clean up Kamwookya, the slum where Kyagulanyi grew up. That same year, he gave money to build toilets and a drainage channel in Kisenyi II, another Kampala slum. He said he did this because "these are my people, and no matter where I go, this will always be home."

He has also worked to prevent malaria. He donated to Nakasongola Health Centre and mentioned the disease in his songs.

In August 2013, Kyagulanyi visited the Bundibugyo Refugee Camp. He went with groups like Save the Children and the Red Cross to give money and supplies. The next month, he became a parenting ambassador for Twaweza, a group that helps with education in East Africa. His message was to encourage responsible parenting among his fans. He said that "education is what will ultimately change the course of our country."

In 2014, Kyagulanyi became an ambassador for Save the Children's EVERY ONE campaign. He joined 14 Ugandan artists who recorded a song and video about health for mothers and children. Kyagulanyi and his wife, Barbara, visited hospitals across Uganda to promote the campaign. Save the Children also took him to other areas, including a refugee settlement for people from South Sudan.

Currently, Bobi Wine is the Patron of Caring Hearts Uganda. This is a Non-Government Organization that helps girls and teen mothers. His wife, Barbie Kyagulanyi, founded it.

In October 2022, Kyagulanyi was supposed to perform a show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The money from the show was meant to help Ugandans stuck in the United Arab Emirates return home. However, the government canceled the show. When Kyagulanyi arrived in Dubai, he was held at the airport for ten hours before being released.

Personal Life

Kyagulanyi met his wife, Barbara Itungo, while studying at Makerere University. They got married in August 2011 after living together for ten years. They have four children. Kyagulanyi and his family live in Magere Village, Wakiso District. He makes sure they "go together to dig and get food, whenever we can." He does this so his children learn to live a normal life, not just as a celebrity's children.

On 10 February 2015, Kyagulanyi's father passed away after a long illness. Many people, including government officials and other famous people, attended the funeral. One month later, Kyagulanyi released the song "Paradiso." This song shares the message of valuing your parents while they are still alive.

Kyagulanyi was featured in the 2022 documentary film Bobi Wine: The People's President. This film was nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

Awards and Honours

Awards and Nominations

Other Honours

• 2018 Africanews Personality of the Year
• 2019 Foreign Policy Global Thinkers
• 2019 Rainbow/PUSH International Humanitarian Award
• 2019 Friedrich Naumann Foundation Africa Freedom Prize
• 2021 Bobi Wine was named the Outstanding Entrepreneurial Artist by Janzi Awards
• 2022 Bobi Wine, along with Producer Ronie Matovu, Humphrey Nabimanya, and Bryan Morel Publications, received an award at the Forty Under 40 Africa awards in Accra, Ghana.

Discography

This is a list of Bobi Wine's music.

Albums

• 2015: Bobi Wange
• 2015: Hosanah
• 2015: Kansubize
• 2015: Ontabira
• 2015: Sweet
• 2018: Kyarenga

Singles and Extended Plays

• 2015: "Ayagala Mulaasi"
• 2017: "Freedom"
• 2018: "Kyarenga"
• 2019: "Tuliyambala Engule"
• 2020: "Corona Virus Alert"

Filmography

• 2008: Divisionz
• 2010: Yogera
• 2015: Situka as Muganga
• 2016: Omubanda wakabaka (TV Series)
• 2022: Bobi Wine: The People's President

See also

In Spanish: Bobi Wine para niños