In UK, Bobi Grilled On His Yes And No Position On LGBTQ+ Rights

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), found himself under intense scrutiny during his recent visit to the UK.

Appearing on the AfricaHere&Now podcast run by ex-BBC News and Al Jazeera presenter Martine Dennis, Bobi’s stance on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) community (LGBTQ+) rights was questioned, revealing his flip-flopping position on the issue.

The noise surrounding Bobi’s views on LGBTQ+ rights is not new. Earlier, Bobi had changed his stance from being homophobic to a supporter of the community, which led to the successful lifting of his 10-year travel ban by the UK government in November 2023.

‘Bobi Fully Backs LGBTQ+’, Lead Negotiator Tatchell Now Reveals

According to Peter Tatchell, a veteran gay rights campaigner who led the negotiations to lift the ban, Bobi underwent a significant transformation, shedding his past homophobic views and embracing the LGBTQ+ community.

“I have met Bobi Wine. He is the leader of Uganda’s democratic opposition. I have had extensive conversations with him on LGBT+ rights, and he is no longer homophobic. He and his party members have welcomed me to their London events, knowing that I am gay and an LGBT+ activist, despite the risk of this being exploited by the dictatorship and used against them,” Tatchell said.

Tatchell added, “It is true that Bobi Wine used to be homophobic. He was rightly banned from the UK for several years by the Government because of his homophobia.”

However, through extensive conversations and education on LGBTQ+ issues, Bobi Wine began to see the error of his ways, as Tatchell revealed, “Following criticism and lobbying by myself and Ugandan LGBTs in London, Bobi has changed his mind. He [Bobi Wine] says his homophobic past originated from the intensely bigoted culture in which he grew up, and to which he was exposed. He never knew anything different. But now that we have educated him about LGBT+ issues, he is not homophobic anymore.”

Tatchell disclosed Bobi’s secret, “Bobi has apologized for his anti-LGBT+ past. In light of his apologies, the UK government lifted his entry ban. The bar for lifting an entry ban is very high. Such bans are only lifted if the UK government is convinced that the apology is genuine, and there is evidence of a change of heart. That Bobi has changed his views is also accepted by many Ugandan LGBTs living in London.”

During the podcast in early April 2025, Martine Dennis asked Bobi about his position on LGBTQ+ rights, given his past homophobic views and his recent support for the community.

In an apparent reference to Tatchell’s revelations, Martine asked; You told us about Human rights and human rights fundamentals that raise eyebrows when you talk about Uganda, particularly human rights of marginalized groups like the LGBTQ groups. What is Bobi Wine and NUP’s position on Gay rights in Uganda, because it has been said you flipped from being quite homophobic, and then you changed your position?

Bobi whose face had changed from jovial when he was responding to other questions to a quite gloomy one, responded, “Well, I am in the UK after serving 10 years of the ban, not being able to come to the UK because of the statements I made in my 20s. Of course, you cannot hold me accountable as a 43-year-old. You cannot keep me in the same line as though I was in my early 20s.”

Feeling nagged to be made to ever repeat his affirmations on the LGBTQ+ issues, Bobi added, “But I must also mention, on this opportunity, that the West should stop looking at LGBTQ rights as the only human right…”

When asked if he thought there was an unfair concentration on the gay community, Bobi replied, “Absolutely, and it does not benefit those LGBTQ people because it shows bias and unfair concentration. I am saying, all human beings’ rights should be valued the same.”

The interviewer then asked about the current anti-homosexuality act in Uganda, to which Bobi responded, “I wouldn’t want to dwell so much on a law that has been passed in Uganda. I have said it in the past that the law in many ways was passed to target the opposition because once you come out and make a statement, they can use the law to grab and quickly convict you… So, that is why I restrain myself from commenting so far on that [LGBTQ] issue.”

Bobi’s recent interview in the UK has left his morality levels both internationally and locally in the spotlight as his ability to tell the truth and maintain a consistent stance on critical issues is being closely watched.