National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, has promised a nonviolent but determined fight to end what he called “four decades of dictatorship”.
Speaking shortly after his nomination in Nateete on Wednesday, Kyagulanyi said he was “deeply humbled and profoundly honored” to be entrusted again by Ugandans after his first attempt in 2021 ended in what he described as “a stolen election marred by violence and repression.”
“Together, we have been everywhere preaching the message of a New Uganda. And today, with this nomination, we start the final phase in our mission to freedom and true independence,” Kyagulanyi said as thousands of his supporters braved heavy rain and security crackdowns to cheer him on.
The NUP leader declared that this election would be different, describing it as “a protest vote” against “40 years of oppression, corruption, and economic mismanagement.”
“We risk it all because the alternative is giving up, and that’s ten times worse. Even if someone says the chance of winning is only one percent, we must take the chance and fight,” he said, invoking the memories of slain and imprisoned opposition supporters since the 2021 election.
Promise of a New Uganda
In a speech laced with defiance and hope, Kyagulanyi painted a picture of “a Uganda where security protects the people instead of terrorizing them; a Uganda where teachers, farmers, health workers, and soldiers earn fair wages; a Uganda where jobs go to the qualified, not the connected.”
He accused President Yoweri Museveni’s administration of using fear, poverty, and security forces as tools of control, warning that Uganda risked descending further into repression if citizens did not act.
“Since our nation was born in 1962, every change of leadership has been written in blood. Our problem is not a lack of wealth; our problem is a lack of leadership.”
He called on the international community to support Uganda’s democratic aspirations, stressing that “a free Uganda is a stable East Africa and a prosperous Africa.”
Message to Museveni
Directly addressing President Museveni, Kyagulanyi urged him to allow a peaceful transition, saying this was the only way to secure his legacy. “The best guarantee for your legacy and your security is to allow a peaceful and democratic transition,” he said.
NUP Pledges Nonviolent Protest
Despite expressing fears of state brutality, Kyagulanyi emphasized that his movement would remain peaceful. “We are protesting legally, constitutionally, and nonviolently. We must mobilize people to vote in very large numbers—numbers too big to rig,” he declared.
The NUP secretariat praised supporters who endured “the usual security brutality” and heavy rains to witness the nomination, vowing that “their pain would not be in vain.”
Eight Candidates Cleared for 2026 Race
Kyagulanyi joins a field of eight presidential contenders, including President Museveni, who is seeking re-election on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket. Others include FDC’s Nandala Mafabi, ANT’s Mugisha Muntu, and four additional opposition candidates.
As the campaigns begin, Kyagulanyi told supporters to prepare for a “long walk to freedom” but promised that “failure is not an option.”
“We will never give up until we are free. We shall be in charge of our country, and we shall be the ones to determine our destiny,” he vowed, ending his speech with the familiar slogan: “People Power, Our Power!”
