OUT OF CONTEXT: The Picture Of Bobi Wine With Army Soldiers Opening His Door Is Not From 2025 But 2017.

Neither has he withdrawn from the 2026 presidential race.

Claim.
A post shared on X (formerly Twitter) by user @AmpaireSofia claimed that H.E. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, was seen at a State House meeting with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The post further alleged that during this supposed meeting, Bobi Wine announced plans to withdraw from the presidential race and asked for forgiveness from the President.

As of this publication, the post had accumulated 82,000 views, 468 comments, 75 reposts, and 495 likes, gaining significant traction across Ugandan social media.

Last Sunday,@HEBobiwine was seen at State House where he met with the President of Uganda. During their discussion, he revealed plans of withdrawing from the presidential race and also asked for forgiveness. Kino kilekawa ba foot soldiers 😂@One_PiusJadwar @brucenahabwe1 pic.twitter.com/XnffvItOuL

— Ampaire Sofia (@AmpaireSofia) October 28, 2025

Claim:
The viral post asserts that Bobi Wine visited State House, met with President Museveni, expressed remorse, and revealed intentions to withdraw from the upcoming presidential race.
The post includes a photo showing Bobi Wine stepping out of a car with two UPDF soldiers, one appearing to open the car door for him.

Verification

There is no evidence from any official or credible sources that Bobi Wine met President Museveni or announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.

1. Image Analysis
   A reverse image search reveals that the picture used in the post is not recent.

The photo originates from 2017, when Bobi Wine had just been elected Kyadondo East Member of Parliament.
This was confirmed by a 2017 article published by Generation Newspaper titled “Bobi Wine defends himself on the trending pic when saluted by an army officer.”

The article, dated September 23, 2017, discusses the same photograph that went viral at the time, showing Bobi Wine being saluted by an army officer. 

This confirms that the image making rounds in 2025 is not new but an old photo reused out of context and spreading a false narrative.

     2. Lack of Official Confirmation

There is no statement from State House Uganda, Bobi Wine, or his political party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), confirming any meeting or withdrawal.

The official X handle @HEBobiwine and the NUP’s verified pages continue to share campaign-related updates, indicating that Bobi Wine remains an active presidential candidate.

A tweet by @enywaru notes that the photograph of a UPDF soldier saluting Bobi Wine and opening his car door is currently being circulated by pro-government accounts as evidence of a State House meeting, yet the tweet flags the photo as resurfaced and miscontextualised.

A photo of a UPDF officer saluting Bobi Wine and opening for him the car door is resurfacing and pro-government accounts are claiming it’s of him meeting the President recently.

The photo dates back to 2017 and Bobi Wine has previously addressed it: https://t.co/T6PCc0Q86L pic.twitter.com/8xYuGJRHVv

— payo (@enywaru) October 28, 2025

      3. Ongoing Campaign Activities

Local media, including Daily Monitor, New Vision, and Nile Post, have recently reported on Bobi Wine’s active participation in political rallies and preparations for the 2026 elections.

No credible outlet has published any report suggesting that he has stepped down or reconciled politically with the President.

Methodology:

• We reviewed Bobi Wine’s official communication channels (X, Facebook, and website) for any indication of withdrawal or meeting with the President. 
• We checked State House Uganda’s official website and verified X account for any event or statement related to Bobi Wine. 
• We performed a reverse image search on the photo attached to the viral post, tracing it back to its original 2017 publication. 
• We examined NUP’s recent public activities and found continued campaign engagements across the country.

Conclusion:
The perpetrators of this information in the claim aim to destabilise the public, especially those who support the NUP, to think of Kyagulanyi as a traitor, coward, and so much more.
The image used in the viral X post is from 2017 and has been misrepresented to make it appear current.

Verdict: Out of context: whereas the image is real, it has been used to spread a narrative that it does not represent. The claim that Bobi Wine met President Museveni at State House and announced his withdrawal from the presidential race is fabricated.
The photo used is old and unrelated to both the State House and NUP, which have not issued any confirmation of such an event.
Bobi Wine remains an active political candidate, and the viral post constitutes a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.