Eronda
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
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National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has condemned the conviction and four-year prison sentence handed to Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, describing it as a politically motivated attempt to silence a leading voice for democratic reforms.
In a statement expressing solidarity with Lissu and Tanzania's main opposition party, Chadema, Bobi Wine welcomed the court's decision to acquit the veteran politician of treason charges, arguing that the state had failed to substantiate allegations that could have exposed him to the death penalty.
According to Bobi Wine, the acquittal represents a victory against what he described as the use of treason charges as a tool of political intimidation. He argued that Tanzanian authorities sought to punish Lissu for demanding free, fair and transparent electoral reforms, but were unable to prove the accusations brought against him.
However, the Ugandan opposition leader criticized the court's decision to convict Lissu on a separate charge of incitement and sentence him to four years in prison. He said the ruling demonstrates how authoritarian governments can use the judiciary to suppress legitimate political opposition while maintaining the appearance of legal process.
Bobi Wine maintained that Lissu's campaign for electoral reforms under the slogan "No Reforms, No Election" was a legitimate democratic demand rather than a criminal act. He argued that the conviction suggests the state manufactured a lesser offence after failing to secure a treason conviction, with the aim of keeping a prominent opposition figure out of the political arena.
The NUP leader further linked Lissu's case to broader struggles for democracy across East Africa, saying citizens in the region continue to face similar challenges in their efforts to secure political freedoms, accountable leadership and credible electoral processes.
"From Kampala to Dar es Salaam, our struggle against generational dictatorships and electoral autocracy remains unified," Bobi Wine said, adding that while prison may restrict a person's movement, it cannot extinguish the desire for freedom and democratic change.
He also expressed solidarity with Chadema and the people of Tanzania, calling for an end to what he described as the continued persecution of opposition voices.
