10 Facts

  • Robert Kyagulanyi Ssestamu, known as Bobi Wine, grew up in the Kamwokya slums in Kampala, Uganda.
  • Bobi is married to Barbara Kyagulanyi, known as Barbie, with whom he has four children.
  • He is a singer, musician, actor, activist and politician.
  • Bobi Wine has won several awards, such as the prestigious HiPipo Music Award (HMA) and Pearl Of Africa Music Award.
  • Bobi is a Member of Parliament for Kyadondo East Constituency.
  • In 2014, Wine was appointed a Save the Children Ambassador for their EVERY ONE Campaign, and joined a team of 14 Ugandan artists who recorded a special song and video about maternal and child health.
  • Following the 2016 election, Bobi released the song “Situka,” which challenges Ugandans to do something about corruption and injustice in their country.
  • His appeal to the youth caused the state to attempt to rein him in, at one point banning his music shows and trying to dictate what he could and couldn’t sing.
  • In September 2017, President Museveni’s ruling party introduced a bill in Parliament seeking to amend the Constitution and remove the 75-year age limit for one to run for the presidency. Bobi opposed it and alongside other MPs, he was subsequently violently arrested and detained.
  • In April 2018, he graduated with a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in Kampala. By pursuing legal studies, Bobi believes that he will use that knowledge to defend the less privileged whether in the courtroom or elsewhere.