Who is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu? Flash Uganda Media looks at his biography, age, wife, relationship with the late Jackson Wellington Ssentamu, Margaret Nalunkuuma, Mikie Wine, Barbara Itungo, Eddy Yawe, Solomon Kampala Nyanzi, Shalom Namagembe, Shadraq Shilling Mbogo, and Suubi Shine Nakaayi and early life of an actor, singer, businessman and politician from Uganda and founder of National Unity Platform (NUP).
Kyagulanyi Robert Ssentamu also known as Bobi Wine is an actor, singer, businessman and politician from Uganda.
During the 10th Parliament, he represented Wakiso District in Central Uganda as the Kyadondo County East MP.
Kyagulanyi is also the President of the National Unity Platform (NUP) political party.
Net Worth
By 2024, Kyagulanyi Robert Ssentamu’s estimated net worth was $13 million.
Bobi Wine extols the virtues of a prosperous political and musical career.
His music profession accounts for the majority of his financial worth. As an ambassador for several non-governmental organizations, he has also increased his financial account.
His YouTube channel has gained tens of millions of views, creating another source of income for him. In addition to performing live, he is also involved in brand partnerships and several other events that have brought him money.
Early Life
Kyagulanyi Robert Ssentamu was born on February 12, 1982, to the late Jackson Wellington Ssentamu (father) and Margaret Nalunkuuma (mother) in Nkozi Hospital, Uganda where his mother was a nurse.
Following a long battle with diabetes, Kyagulanyi’s father passed away on February 10, 2015.
He has two siblings; Mikie Wine and the late Eddy Yawe.
The majority of his formative years were spent in the Kamwokya slum, located in the northeastern region of Uganda’s capital city, Kampala.
Education Background
Kyagulanyi attended Kitante Hill School, where he earned his Uganda Certificate of Education in 1996, and Kololo Senior Secondary School, where he earned his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education in 1998.
After that, he attended Makerere University in Kampala where he studied for a diploma in Music, Dance and Drama and graduated in 2003.
Kyagulanyi went back to school in 2016 to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Law at the International University of East Africa.
Education background summary
| Years | Institution | Status /Award |
| 1996 | Kitante Hill School | UCE |
| 1998 | Kololo Senior Secondary School | UACE |
| 2003 | Makerere University | Diploma Music, Dance, and Drama |
| 2016 | International University of East Africa | Bachelor’s Degree in Law |
Marriage / Relationship
Kyagulanyi Robert married Barbara Itungo in August 2011, after dating for several years. They met when he was still a student at Makerere University.
The couple is blessed with four children; Solomon Kampala Nyanzi, Shalom Namagembe, Shadraq Shilling Mbogo, and Suubi Shine Nakaayi.
Music Career and Professional Work Experience
Kyagulanyi began his musical career in the early 2000s, taking inspiration from Bob Marley, who was also named Robert.
He first used the stage name ‘BobiRob’. He later changed his stage name to Bobi Wine.
In Ugandan music, “Akagoma,” “Funtula,” and “Sunda” (with Ziggy D) were his breakthrough singles.
Reggae, dancehall, afrobeat, and kidandali have all been incorporated into his music, which oftentimes has a socially conscious theme.
He was the leader of the Fire Base Crew until it was disbanded. He then founded the Ghetto Republic of Uganja, a new group.
Over 15 years, he has released over 70 tracks. The songs covered a wide range of topics, including child marriage, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, child pregnancies, hygiene, and more.
Songs in this genre include “Obuyonjo,” “Obululu Tebutwala,” “Time Bomb,” “Ghetto” (co-written with Nubian Li), and other notable works.
Political Career
In July 2017, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu was sworn in as the representative MP of Kyadondo East Constituency in the 10th Parliament (2016-2021).
During the 2021 Presidential campaigns, Kyagulanyi contested as a presidential candidate on the National Unity Platform ticket. He, however, lost the race to H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the National Resistance Movement.
The People’s President, which was released in 2023 was filmed over five years and it centres on Bobi Wine and his spouse as they travelled the campaign route ahead of the 2021 presidential election.
Member of Parliament summary
| Years | Constituency |
| 2016 – 2021 | Kyadondo East Constituency |
Bobi Wine 2026 presidential run, calls for ‘protest vote’
Ugandan opposition leader and musician Bobi Wine has officially declared his intention to run for president in the country’s 2026 general elections.
The announcement was made on Thursday at the National Unity Platform (NUP) party headquarters in Makerere Kavule, Kampala, where Robert Kyagulanyi—better known by his stage name—formally submitted his expression of interest to stand again under the NUP banner.
Flanked by his wife Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi and their young son Shadrack Mbogo, Kyagulanyi told a cheering crowd that his campaign was not just political, but deeply personal—a continuation of what he called “an unfinished mission” to free Uganda from what he described as decades of repression.
“This is a protest vote,” he said, urging supporters to rally behind what he framed as a people’s struggle. He also paid tribute to NUP members who have been detained, abducted or killed since the 2021 campaign, honouring the families he said had “sacrificed for the cause.”
Kyagulanyi came second in the last election, in which long-time President Yoweri Museveni extended his decades-long rule. The vote was marred by allegations of fraud, intimidation and violence—claims the government denies.
Other Career accomplishments
Kyagulanyi has also had acting experience, primarily in regional productions in Uganda.
He was selected for the 2010 production of the play Yogera, which starred Cleopatra Koheirwe, and for the 2015 Twaweza-funded film Situka, where he played the lead alongside Hellen Lukoma.
In addition, he worked on some other films, including Divizionz. Bobi Wine hosted The Ghetto President, a reality TV program.
The Disney film Queen of Katwe’s soundtrack included his song “Kiwani” in 2016.
Kyagulanyi is also the founder and owner of FireBase Records, a commercial production studio located in Kamwokya.
Philanthropical works
He launched a campaign in 2012 to encourage hand washing as a disease prevention measure, cleanliness, rubbish management, and more frequent cleaning in hospitals.
In addition, he has raised awareness about malaria prevention by donating to the Nakasongola Health Centre and mentioning the illness in some of his songs.
In August 2013, Save the Children, UNHCR, and Red Cross representatives accompanied Kyagulanyi to the Bundibugyo Refugee Camp in Bundibugyo District to deliver supplies and cash.
The next month, Twaweza, an NGO in East Africa that promotes civic engagement and education, recognized him as a parenting ambassador.
In 2014, Kyagulanyi worked with 14 other Ugandan musicians to create a unique song and video that focused on maternal and child health as an ambassador for Save the Children’s EVERY ONE campaign.
Currently, Bobi Wine supports Caring Hearts Uganda, a non-governmental organization founded by his wife, Barbie Kyagulanyi, that empowers girls and adolescent mothers.
Achievements and Awards
Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has won the following awards;
| Year | Award | Category |
| 2005 | Pearl of Africa Music Awards | Song of the Year “Mama Mbiire” ft Juliana |
| 2006 | Pearl of Africa Music Awards | Best AfroBeat Single “Bada” |
| 2007 | Pearl of Africa Music Awards | Best AfroBeat Single “Kiwani” |
| 2008 | Pearl of Africa Music Awards | Best Afro Beat Artiste/Group |
| 2009 | MTV Africa Music Awards | Best Video “Little Things You Do” by Wahu ft Bobi Wine |
| 2013 | HiPipo Music Awards | Artist of the Year |
| 2018 | Zzina Awards | |
| 2018 | Africa News | Personality of the Year |
| 2019 | Foreign Policy | Global Thinkers |
| 2019 | Rainbow/PUSH International | Humanitarian Award |
| 2019 | Friedrich Naumann Foundation | Africa Freedom Prize |
| 2021 | Janzi Awards | Outstanding Entrepreneurial Artist |
| 2022 | Accra Ghana | Forty Under 40 Africa awards |
| 2024 | Academy Awards | Best Documentary Feature Film Bobi Wine: The People’s President |
Bobi Wine’s Songs
Albums
- Nteredde – 2022
- Hosanah – 2015
- Kyarenga – 2018
- Kansubize – 2015
- Omwana Wabandi – 2010
- Tuliyambala Engule – 2019
- Tujune – 2022
- Osobola – 2019
- Afande – 2019
- Uganda – 2019
- Ogenda – 2021
- Omwana Wabandi – 2010
- Wendi – 2012
- Mazi mawanvu · 2010
- Sweet – 2015
- Ayagala Mulaasi · 2015
- Corona Virus · 2020
Songs
- Nteredde – 2022
- Kiwani – 2015
- Matyansi Butyampa – 2018
- Abalungi Balumya – 2015
- Kabaseke – 2010
- Tuliyambala Engule – 2019
- Tujune – 2022
- Osobola – 2019
- Afande – 2019
- Akalimu, Uganda – 2019
- Ogenda – 2021
- Adam Ne Kawa – 2010
- Byekwaaso – 2019
- Nyimbira Kabaka Wange – 2019
- Aida – 2012
- Wendi – 2012
- Situka – 2019
- In a De Dance – 2015
- Size Yo – 2019
- Ebibuuzo – 2010
- Mr Money – 2015
- Nalumansi – 2012
- Specioza – 2019
- Nsaba Twogere – 2019
- For Better or for Worse – 2019
- Wesotinge – 2015
- Corona Virus – 2020
- Ndi Muna Uganda – 2019
- Obululu – 2018
- Freedom – 2018
- Kataala – 2018
- Uganda Zukuka – 2019
Controversies
According to an account from July 2014, Kyagulanyi was scheduled to perform in the UK at the Drum Arts Centre in Birmingham and the Troxy in London. Calls for a ban were prompted by his songs, which conveyed views against homosexuality.
Kyagulanyi’s appearances were subsequently cancelled by both locations.
After the vocal Sheikh Muzaata sharply attacked the Buganda kingdom’s fundraising efforts in 2015, Kyagulanyi openly defended them, sparking a verbal conflict.
In April 2016, when Uganda’s only radiation equipment broke down in Mulago, Kyagulanyi spearheaded a public protest against the government’s slow reaction.
He also published a critical assessment of the public healthcare system and urged the nation’s leaders to use tax money more wisely.
In August 2020, Kyagulanyi was brought before the court on charges of falsifying documents, obtaining registration by trickery, and creating false information.
Following the certification of his nomination to the electoral body for the 2021 general election, Kyagulanyi was taken into custody on November 3, 2020.
According to a statement posted on his official Twitter account, he was brutally attacked by police and the military, briefly blinded, and arrested outside the nomination location.
Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has been accusing members of his own National Unity Platform (NUP) of working with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) on several occasions.
He, however, withheld the names of the specific members from the public.
