Bobi Wine Biography
Born in 1978, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu is a politician, singer, and actor from Uganda better known by his stage name, Bobi Wine. He served as the Kyadondo County East MP for the Wakiso District in the Central Region of Uganda. He is also the political party’s leader, the National Unity Platform. He declared his intention to run in the Ugandan presidential election of 2021 in June 2019. He ran in the 2021 election and, despite his claims that the elections were rigged, the official results showed that he lost to the incumbent, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The Ugandan government put him under house arrest on December 14, 2021. He hasn’t stopped criticizing his arrest. After being granted permission to travel, he made a documentary to inform the world about the events of the 2021 Ugandan election. Upon his arrival back in Uganda on October 5, 2023, he was promptly taken into custody.
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| WIKI FACTS & ABOUT DATA | |
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| Full Name: | Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu |
| Stage Name: | Bobi Wine |
| Born: | 12 February 1982 (age 41 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Nkozi Hospital, Uganda |
| Nationality: | Ugandan |
| Education: | Makerere University, International University of East Africa |
| Height: | 1.85 m |
| Parents: | Mzee J.W Sentamu |
| Siblings: | Mikie Wine, Eddy Yawe |
| Spouse: | Barbie Kyagulanyi (m. 2011) |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | N/A |
| Children: | Solomon Kampala Nyanzi Kyagulanyi, Shadraq Shilling Mbogo Kyagulanyi, Shalom Namagembe Kyagulanyi, Suubi Shine Nakaayi Kyagulanyi |
| Occupation: | Musician • Politician |
| Net Worth: | US$7.3 million |
Bobi Wine’s Early life and education
Kyagulanyi’s mother was employed as a midwife at Nkozi Hospital, where he was born. He was raised in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala, in the northeastern Kamwokya slum.
Kyagulanyi attended Kololo Senior Secondary School, where he earned his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education in 1998, and Kitante Hill School, where he earned his Uganda Certificate of Education in 1996. After that, he studied music, dance, and drama at Makerere University in Kampala, where he received a diploma in 2003. Kyagulanyi went back to school in 2016 to complete a Bachelor of Laws program at the International University of East Africa.
Bobi Wine Entertainment career
Music career
Inspired by Bob Marley, who was also named Robert, Kyagulanyi started his musical career in the early 2000s and went by the stage name BobiRob, which is identical to his Christian given name, Robert. Later on, he adopted Bobi Wine as his stage name. His breakthrough hits in Ugandan music were “Akagoma,” “Funtula,” and “Sunda” (with Ziggy D). Kidandali, reggae, dancehall, and afrobeat have all been applied to his music, which frequently carries a socially conscious message. Before Fire Base Crew disbanded, he served as its leader. He then founded the Ghetto Republic of Uganja, a new group. Over 15 years, he has released over 70 tracks.
The Disney film Queen of Katwe’s soundtrack included his song “Kiwani” in 2016.
Afrobeat music has always been Bobi Wine’s primary musical genre. The late Kasiwukira was selling and promoting Bobi Wine’s music. He confirmed that Kasiwukira had given him receipts for 60 million dollars from the sales of his music in just one month. With tens of millions of views, his YouTube channel is monetized. him addition to performing live, he has done brand endorsements and some other events that have brought him money. He owns FireBase Records, a commercial production studio located in Kamwokya.
The Bobi Wine Edutainment
This article focuses on a type of musical entertainment that Wine created in 2006. The goal of the music’s creation was to both educate and amuse listeners, especially the poor people living in Kampala’s outskirts, especially the Ghetto. “Obuyonjo,” “Obululu Tebutwala,” “Time Bomb,” “Ghetto” (with Nubian Li), and other noteworthy musical endeavors are among those made in this genre.
Usually directed at politicians, the messages in these music initiatives encouraged common people to be more responsible members of their communities and urged them to provide more care for the poor. The songs addressed a variety of subjects, such as HIV/AIDS, domestic abuse, child marriages, child pregnancies, hygiene, and more.
As a result of his songs’ widespread appeal, Wine gained the moniker “Ghetto President” and went on to become a well-known figure in Ugandan politics.
Film career
In addition, Kyagulanyi performs as an actor, mostly in regional productions in Uganda. He was chosen for the play Yogera, starring Cleopatra Kyoheirwe, in 2010. He was chosen to play the lead opposite Hellen Lukoma in the Twaweza-funded movie Situka in 2015. In addition, he contributed to several additional movies, such as Divizionz.
The Ghetto President was the title of Bobi Wine’s reality TV program.
He has an appearance in the 2023 documentary Bobi Wine: The People’s President, which was co-directed by Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo. Filmed over five years, it depicts Wine and his spouse as they travel the campaign route in anticipation of the 2021 presidential election.
Bobi Wine Political Career
Kyagulanyi declared his intention to run for parliament in the Kyadondo County East by-election in April 2017. His strategy of walking from door to door garnered interest from people in Uganda and outside. He defeated two well-known contenders, Apollo Kantinti of the main opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and Sitenda Sebalu of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, by a significant margin.
Kyagulanyi’s popularity grew in 2018 as he supported the candidates he supported in most of the by-elections, helping them defeat the FDC and NRM candidates.
Arua by-election incident
In the northern town of Arua, close to Gulu, on August 14, 2018, supporters of Kassiano Wadri, an independent candidate for parliament, are said to have attacked and blocked President Museveni’s vehicle. Stones were reportedly thrown at Museveni’s motorcade, sparking altercations between demonstrators and security personnel. Later, in a social media post, vocal Museveni opponent Kyagulanyi disclosed that police had deliberately shot at his car, killing his driver. In Arua, Kyagulanyi had supported Wadri’s campaign against the official candidate who supported Museveni.
On August 15, 2018, Kyagulanyi was taken into custody on suspicion of illegal firearm ownership and inciting violence. The next day, he was brought before a military court and charged with the former. According to The Times, Kyagulanyi looked as though he had been battered before going to court. Kyagulanyi’s health was concerning and required immediate medical attention, according to Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, a lawyer who has defended imprisoned Members of Parliament. Torture claims have been refuted by the administration on several occasions. Kizza Besigye, the head of the Ugandan opposition, addressed a press conference and requested that the MP be released immediately.
The accusations brought against Kyagulanyi during his second appearance before the General Court Martial in Gulu on August 23, 2018, were withdrawn by the Ugandan State prosecution due to the escalating public demonstrations in Uganda calling for his release and the contentious debates in the Ugandan Parliament. The prosecution said it would pursue additional charges in a civil court to potentially put the MP on trial.
Following his release, Kyagulanyi was detained again and accused of treason before a civilian court. After being granted bail in September 2018, Kyagulanyi left the country to seek medical attention in the US for what were reported injuries he sustained while being held in detention. On the day of his release and upon his return from the United States, the Ugandan authorities forbade his supporters from coming together. Eventually, on September 20, 2018, after returning to Uganda, he spoke to his fans in a rally outside his house.
Kyagulanyi was accused in August 2019 of having the “intent to alarm, annoy or ridicule” President Museveni due to his involvement in the Arua event the year before. The accusations were made the day after Ziggy Wine, a fellow artist from Uganda and ardent Museveni opponent, passed away after being abducted and tortured by unidentified assailants.
On April 22, 2019, Kyagulanyi was arrested while trying to go to a concert that was supposed to take place at his exclusive club in southern Kampala but was canceled by the police. He was charged with organizing a demonstration against the “social media tax” that went into force in July 2018 without first getting permission from the authorities in the city. While traveling to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) offices on April 29, 2019, in response to a summons, Kyagulanyi was arrested once more and brought to Buganda Road Court. There, he was charged with violating a statutory duty and placed under remand to Luzira Maximum Security Prison until his bail hearing on May 2.
Amnesty International called for his quick release the next day in a statement, and the Ugandan government was urged to “stop misusing the law in a shameless attempt to silence him for criticizing the government.” Kyagulanyi was granted bail and released from prison on the day of the hearing, which was held via video conference for the first time in the history of Uganda’s legal system. The court also prohibited him from staging unauthorized demonstrations.
2021 presidential election
Kyagulanyi formally declared his intention to run for president in the general election of 2021 on July 24, 2019. He declared his membership in the National Unity Platform party on July 22, 2020, and in the approaching general election in February 2021, he was chosen as the party’s president and presidential flag-bearer. On November 3, 2020, Kyagulanyi was legally nominated to compete for the presidency. The Ugandan soldiers detained Kyagulanyi shortly after his nomination.
He released his campaign manifesto in Mbarara, western Uganda, on November 6, 2020, following the cordoning off of his NUP party premises by state operatives, which prevented him from releasing the manifesto from there as scheduled.
In the Luuka District of Eastern Uganda, on November 18, 2020, Kyagulanyi was taken into custody and held for three days at the Nalufenya Police Station in Jinja. The Daily Monitor reported that “Police accused Mr. Kyagulanyi of having more than 200 supporters recommended by the EC to contain further spread of COVID-19.”
Widespread protests across the nation, primarily in areas of Kampala, Masaka, Jinja, Mukono, Mbale, and Wakiso, greeted his detention. Human rights activists estimate that over 100 people were killed and numerous others injured, despite the Ugandan police’s claim that only 54 people were slain.
The following demonstrations resulted in the imprisonment of over 2000 persons.
Francis Senteza, Kyagulanyi’s bodyguard, was killed on December 27, 2020, when he was struck by a military police truck. He was attacked during a previous altercation between the police and a group of Kyagulanyi’s supporters while assisting in the critical gas treatment of a journalist. The incident also resulted in injuries to another journalist.
The elections commission said on January 16 that Museveni had received 58.6% of the vote to win reelection. Kyagulanyi insisted that the election was the most rigged in Ugandan history and refused to recognize the results.
Shortly after he cast his ballot in the presidential election, on January 15, Kyagulanyi was placed under house arrest. Even though Kyagulanyi claimed to have run out of food, the soldiers surrounded his house and forbade anyone from entering or leaving for several days. The soldiers stopped the convoy, making it impossible for Natalie E. Brown, the US ambassador to Uganda, to visit or leave food for him.
On January 26, Kyagulanyi was let free following a decision from the Ugandan High Court to terminate his home imprisonment. On February 1st, Kyagulanyi filed a lawsuit contesting the 2021 elections. However, he later gave his lawyers orders to drop the case, claiming that the judges were biased, after pictures of the chief justice and President Museveni—the corresponding party in the complaint—were discovered.
Bobi Wine Humanitarian work
Kyagulanyi has backed several doable initiatives to help the underprivileged. He launched a campaign in 2012 to encourage hand washing to prevent illness, sanitation, rubbish management, and more frequent cleaning in hospitals. He may be seen helping Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago clean up Kamwookya, the impoverished area where Kyagulanyi grew up, in a September 2012 YouTube video. Additionally, he contributed money to build pit latrines and a drainage channel in Kisenyi II, a Kampala slum that the New Vision described as “characterized by filth, crowded shanty structures, poor sanitation, and lack of basic social facilities.” Kyagulanyi explained why he started the project: “I started this because these are my people; wherever I go, this will always be home.”
Additionally, he has raised awareness of malaria prevention by supporting the Nakasongola Health Center with donations and by mentioning the illness in his songs.
To give goods and money, Kyagulanyi traveled to the Bundibugyo Refugee Camp in Bundibugyo District in August 2013 with members from Save the Children, UNHCR, and the Red Cross. The next month, he received an announcement from Twaweza, an NGO that works in East Africa on citizen involvement and education, designating him as a parenting ambassador. He used this opportunity to encourage his Ugandan supporters to be good parents. He stated in an interview regarding the initiative that “as artists and fathers, I think we can all make a difference in our children’s learning. Education is what will ultimately change the course of our country.”
As an ambassador for Save the Children’s EVERY ONE campaign in 2014, Kyagulanyi collaborated with 14 other Ugandan artists to create a unique song and video centered around maternal and child health. Jose Chameleone, Radio, and Weasel, who together comprised the Goodlyfe Crew, were among the other prominent performers featured in the video. To raise awareness of the initiative, Kyagulanyi and his spouse Barbara visited hospitals around Uganda, including Nakaseke Hospital, where they had meetings with midwives and medical professionals. He was also taken by Save the Children to other areas for the campaign, such as the Nyumanzi Refugee Settlement for South Sudanese residents in northwest Uganda.
Currently, Bobi Wine is the patron of Caring Hearts Uganda, a non-governmental organization that empowers girls and teen mothers and was started by his wife, Barbie Kyagulanyi. About Menstrual Health in Uganda: Caring Hearts Uganda is a nonprofit organization. The United Arab Emirates Government canceled Bobiwine’s show, which was scheduled to take place on October 8, 2022, for unspecified reasons. Before his arrival, he was held for ten hours at the Dubai airport before being released to address his supporters. The proceeds of the show were intended to help repatriate Ugandans who had become stranded in the United Arab Emirates.
Bobi Wine Controversies
Kyagulanyi stirs up controversy when he speaks out against social and political issues in Uganda frequently. He and fellow Ugandan musician Bebe Cool had a long-standing quarrel up until January 2019, with Bebe Cool singing in favor of President Museveni and the NRM, while Kyagulanyi has consistently backed opposition causes.
It was reported in July 2014 that Kyagulanyi would be performing in the UK at the Troxy in London and the Drum Arts Centre in Birmingham. His songs, which expressed ideas against homosexuality, sparked calls for a ban. Kyagulanyi’s appearances were subsequently canceled by both locations. While Kyagulanyi implied that he had gone past his prior homophobic remarks in a May 2016 Twitter exchange with ULC Monastery LGBTI, an American Christian organization that encourages tolerance toward the LGBT community, he did not expressly say that his opinions on homosexuality had changed.
After the vocal Sheikh Muzaata sharply attacked the Buganda kingdom’s fundraising efforts in 2015, Kyagulanyi openly defended them, sparking a verbal spat. Because of his devotedness to the Kabaka (King) of Buganda, Kyagulanyi has occasionally been referred to as Omubanda wa Kabaka, or “the king’s rogue.”
When Uganda’s sole radiation machine in Mulago malfunctioned in April 2016, Kyagulanyi took the lead in organizing a public outcry against the government’s tardy response. He also published a critical assessment of the public healthcare system and urged the nation’s leaders to use tax money more wisely.
During the 2015–16 election season, Kyagulanyi shifted the content of his speeches to emphasize tolerance for opposing viewpoints. Various political factions in Uganda reacted differently to Kyagulanyi’s vocal appeals for nonviolent protest during the 2016 election, citing songs like “Dembe” as examples. The Uganda Communications Commission refuted during this time that “Dembe” had been removed from Ugandan radio. U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Deborah R. Malac welcomed Kyagulanyi to an official embassy function three months after the election, remarking that he was a good role model for the local young.
Using a virtual private network (VPN), Kyagulanyi posted on his Facebook page about his defiance of the communications shutdown during the 2016 election, when the Ugandan government shut down social media. He also pointed out that the government was using social media during the shutdown, which they had started. Later, in May 2016, Kyagulanyi was selected to participate in a panel discussion on freedom of expression on World Press Freedom Day in Kampala. He spoke up for his artistic competitors’ freedom to voice opinions that Kyagulanyi personally disagrees with in March of 2016.
Kyagulanyi was hauled into court in August 2020 on allegations of fabricating paperwork, acquiring registration through deception, and fabricating information.
Following the certification of his nomination to the electoral body for the next general election, Kyagulanyi was taken into custody on November 3, 2020. According to a statement posted on his official Twitter account, he was brutally detained by police and the military outside the nomination location, temporarily blinded, and severely beaten.
Bobi Wine Personal Life
Kyagulanyi met his wife, Barbara Itungo, an S6 student at Bweranyangi Girls’ Senior Secondary School, while he was a student at Makerere University. After eleven years of cohabitation, they were married in August 2011. They are parents of four kids. In the Wakiso District’s Magere Village, Kyagulanyi makes sure that his family “goes together to dig and get food, whenever we can.” I do that action because I want them to learn how to live a normal life and not become famous people’s offspring.
Following a protracted fight with diabetes, Kyagulanyi’s father passed away on February 10, 2015. Hundreds of mourners, including public leaders and other celebrities, attended the vigil and burial. Kyagulanyi released the song “Paradiso” a month later, with the concept of appreciating your parents while they are still living.
The 2022 documentary Bobi Wine: The People’s President included Kyagulanyi.
Bobi Wine Social Media
- Instagram handles: BOBI WINE (@bobiwine)
- Twitter handles: BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine)
- Facebook: Bobi Wine
@fame_eco @Bobi Wine’s Rich Lifestyle 2023|| and Short Biography. #bobiwine #nup #uganda #ugandanartist #fameeco #ugandatiktokers #foryoupage #fypシ
Bobi Wine’s Net Worth
Based on estimates, Bobi Wine’s net worth is approximately $7.3 million. He is a multidimensional Ugandan who has achieved success in business, music, philanthropy, politics, and other areas.
He is regarded as the 16th richest musician on the African continent and the richest musician in Uganda. His successful commercial ventures, blossoming political career, and success in music are the main causes of his enormous wealth.
Who Is Bobi Wine?
Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as “Bobi Wine,” is a politician, businessman, singer, and actor from Uganda. Born on February 12, 1982, in Nkozi, Uganda, Ssentamu grew up in the northeastern Kampala slums known as Kamwekya. He went to Kitante Hill Senior Secondary School, which is situated in the Kitante area of Kampala. After earning his Uganda Certificate of Education in 1996, he continued his education at Kampala’s Kololo Senior Secondary School. In 1998, he was granted a Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education.
In 1998, Bobi Wine enrolled at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, to study drama, dance, and music. 2003 marked his graduation. Wine began performing music in the early 2000s. His music mostly falls into the dancehall, afrobeat, and reggae genres. Among his numerous hit singles were “Akagoman,” “Funtala,” and “Sunda.” He served as the band’s leader until its dissolution in 2007. He then founded an organization known as the Ghetto Republic of Uganda. More than 70 tracks have been released by Wine. In addition, he has a career in local Ugandan cinema, appearing in films like as the drama Yogera (2010) directed by Cleopatra Koheirwe and the lead part in Situka (2019) costarring Hellen Lukoma.
Bobi Wine, 35, launched his political career in April 2017 when he declared his intention to run for the Ugandan Parliament in the Kyadondo County East by-election. He easily defeated two other candidates, Apollo Kantiniti of the Forum for Democratic Change and Sitenda Sebalu of the ruling National Resistance Movement Party.
The Yoweri Museveni administration quickly turned its attention toward him.
In the northern town of Aru, on August 14, 2018, supporters of Kassiano Wardri, an independent candidate for parliament, attacked Museveni’s vehicle. Wine, a vocal opponent of Museveni, said on social media that police had shot at his car at the same moment, killing the driver. Next, Wine supported Wardri’s bid to unseat Museveni. He was taken into custody for illegal gun possession and inciting violence the following day. He was detained once more on August 23 after a Ugandan court rejected the accusations against him. In this case, shortly before his trial started, the State Prosecution of Uganda retracted the allegations against him.
Wine was accused of treason after his third arrest. After being granted bail, he left the country to seek medical attention for injuries he claimed to have had while being held.
Wine declared his intention to run for president in the general election of 2021 on July 24, 2019. He became a member of the National Unity Platform Party to further his presidential campaign. In the Ugandan general election of 2021, Wine ran against President Museveni. In the face of allegations of vote suppression and manipulation by his followers, he was defeated by Museveni. Wine promised to stay involved in Ugandan politics even after losing.
Barbara Itungo is the spouse of Bobi Wine. Soloman Kampala Nyanzi, Shalom Namagembe, Shadraq Shilling Mbogo, and Suubi Shine Nakaayi are the couple’s four children. They were married in 2011.
Who is the wife of Bobi Wine?
Susan Kyagulanyi is an author and philanthropist from Uganda. She is the spouse of Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, a politician and pop artist from Uganda. Her 2012 book “Golden Memories of a Village Belle” was written by her.
Is Bobi Wine educated?
After that, he studied music, dance, and drama at Makerere University in Kampala, where he received a diploma in 2003. Kyagulanyi went back to school in 2016 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in law at the International University of East Africa.
Why is Bobi Wine famous?
Born in Uganda on February 12, 1982, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu is a politician, singer, actor, and businessman better known by his stage name, Bobi Wine. Since 2017, he has served as a member of the Ugandan Parliament. He is the movement’s leader, People Power, Our Power. He is well-known for being President Yoweri Museveni’s critic.
