Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is a Ugandan politician, singer, and actor. He is a former Member of Parliament for Kyadondo County East constituency in Wakiso District, in Uganda’s Central Region.
He also leads the National Unity Platform political party. In June 2019, he announced his candidacy for the 2021 Ugandan presidential election.
He participated in the 2021 election where he lost to the incumbent Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, a result which Kyagulanyi and a large section of the public strongly disputed.
On December 14, 2021, he was placed under house arrest by the Government of Uganda. He has continued to protest his arrest.
Kyagulanyi was born in Nkozi Hospital, where his mother worked. He grew up in the Kamwokya slum in the northeastern part of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda.
Kyagulanyi attended Kitante Hill School, where he attained his Uganda Certificate of Education in 1996, as well as Kololo Senior Secondary School, where he attained his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education in 1998.
He then attended Makerere University in Kampala, where he studied music, dance, and drama, graduating with a diploma in 2003.
In 2016, Kyagulanyi returned to university to study law at the International University of East Africa.
Kyagulanyi began his music career in the early 2000s, and adapted the stage name Bobi Wine. His first singles “Akagoma”, “Funtula”, and “Sunda” (featuring Ziggy D) brought him success in the East African music scene.
His music has been characterised as reggae, dancehall, and afrobeat, often with a socially conscious message.
He was the leader of the group Fire Base Crew until its disbandment, after which he started a new group known as Ghetto Republic of Uganja. He has released more than 70 songs over 15 years.
In 2016, his song “Kiwani” was featured on the soundtrack for the Disney movie Queen of Katwe.
Bobi Wine’s major music genre has always been Afrobeat music. Bobi Wine’s music was being sold and promoted by the late Kasiwukira. He acknowledged receiving receipts of 60M from his music sales in just one month from Kasiwukira. He has a fully Monetized YouTube channel with tens of millions of views.
He has held various concerts and performances in addition to brand endorsements all that bring income to him. He owns a commercial production studio in Kamwokya known as FireBase records.
Kyagulanyi is also a film actor, mainly starring in local Ugandan movies. In 2010, he was cast in Cleopatra Kyoheirwe’s drama film Yogera.
In 2015, he was cast in a lead role in the Twaweza-supported film Situka with Hellen Lukoma. He has also worked on a number of other films, including Divizionz.
Bobi Wine had his own reality TV show named The Ghetto President.
