Uganda’s opposition leader, Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has expressed grief over the death of National Unity Platform (NUP) supporter Marinos Alexandros, linking her passing to alleged abuses under President Yoweri Museveni’s government.

In a statement released on Sunday, August 17, Wine said Marinos died at around 1:30 am, joining a growing list of individuals who have suffered under the current administration.

Marinos’ ordeal began on March 30, 2022, when she was reportedly abducted in Mbuya. According to NUP accounts, she was taken to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and subjected to torture and sexual assault for two days. Party officials say her alleged “crime” was simply playing Bobi Wine’s music on loudspeakers.

Before her death, Marinos had spoken to party members and journalists, revealing that she had been tortured and sexually assaulted by a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier, Sgt. Ali Hassan Matovu, and a civilian, Erias Ssengoba. She displayed visible marks of abuse on different parts of her body.

Following her escape, Marinos reportedly began receiving death threats. Her home was raided one night while she was away, forcing her to seek safety in Nairobi, Kenya. Bobi Wine said the government continued to target her, prompting her to move to a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camp for protection.

Marinos became seriously ill in 2024 and received treatment with support from NUP. She returned to Uganda a few weeks ago to continue care near her family but sadly passed away in the early hours of Sunday. Bobi Wine called her loss a blow to the fight for freedom and democracy in Uganda, saying, “The struggle is poorer without you, but the evil regime will never have the last laugh.”

The UPDF has strongly denied the allegations. Brig. Gen. Felix Kulaigye, a UPDF spokesperson, said Marinos had never been detained at CMI and was not abducted by the officers named.

He added that evidence shows she spent much of the day she claims to have been kidnapped talking on the phone with friends. Sgt. Matovu and Erias Ssengoba also denied the accusations.

Marinos’ death has sparked renewed criticism from opposition circles, highlighting ongoing tensions between Uganda’s government and opposition figures over human rights and political freedoms.