The president of the National Unity Platform, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Hero of Democracy award.
Bobi Wine received the award on April 17 at a gala in New York. Other award recipients include former US national security adviser and ambassador to the UN John Bolton; Chrystia Freeland, economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, former Canadian finance minister and deputy prime minister; and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.
The Hero of Democracy award recognises individuals that have defended democracy bravely. Bobi Wine is the first Ugandan and African recipient.
Bobi Wine dedicated the award to jailed opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye, his deputy Muwanga Kivumbi who is on remand over election-related violence and the “women in detention, those that are missing and those that have been killed”.
“Your pain will never go in vain. We can only honour you by not giving up and by standing for the cause that you are paying a big price for. One day everything is gonna be alright,” Bobi Wine said to a round of applause.
The opposition leader left Uganda along with his family after rejecting the January 15 presidential election results. Security forces deployed heavily around his home in Magere near Kampala even before the results were announced.
They also ransacked his home, smashed doors and roughed up his wife Barbie. Although the government said he is not a wanted man, army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba kept posting on social media that security forces were hunting him.
Dozens of NUP supporters were arrested before and after the election over allegations of violence.
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The RDI said on its website that Bobi Wine “continues to fight for democracy with bravery and unshakable optimism”.
Garry Kasparov, the RDI chairman, said in a note inviting attendees that the gala was an opportunity to envision the future the non-profit is fighting for.
“Our honorees didn’t merely take great personal risks to defend freedom; they understood that they had to offer people something to aspire to,” Mr Kasparov said.
“We’re excited to honor them and raise a toast with an incredible group of people! More details to follow.”
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