By National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has cast the 2026 general election as a defining moment for Uganda, urging citizens to rise against what he called decades of exploitation and misrule under President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Kyagulanyi made the remarks on Wednesday after being formally nominated at the Electoral Commission headquarters in Lubowa, Wakiso District. He pledged to lead a movement rooted in accountability, service delivery, and restoring dignity to Ugandans.
“I thank you for the trust you have continuously placed in me ever since I offered myself for the presidential office in 2021,” he said. “Today, my heart is tasked with a deep sense of responsibility to respond to that trust. We are here to give Ugandans a real choice, to ensure accountability, and to champion service delivery that touches the lives of every citizen.”
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The NUP leader accused Museveni—who has ruled since 1986—and his inner circle of reducing citizens to “slaves on their own land,” saying poverty in Uganda was a result of failed leadership rather than a lack of resources.
“For 40 years, one man and a small group of his relatives and friends have reduced the citizens of Uganda into slaves on their own land. Our problem is not lack of wealth. Our problem is lack of leadership—leadership that serves the people instead of terrorising them, leadership that uplifts citizens instead of exploiting them,” Kyagulanyi said.
He invoked the memory of opposition supporters who lost their lives in past elections, including Ritah Nabukenya and Frank Senteza, calling on Ugandans to honour their sacrifice by voting in large numbers.
“Hundreds of our brothers and sisters were tortured and arrested. But we go to the polls because the other option is giving up. If we give up, the spirit of Ritah Nabukenya, Frank Senteza and many others has been betrayed,” he said.
Kyagulanyi called on Ugandans to register a “protest vote” against injustices and urged Museveni to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. “I urge President Museveni to constitute a free, orderly and democratic transition of power. Let this be a democratic election and a free election,” he added.
Outlining his priorities, Kyagulanyi pledged to reform the tax system to shield traders from exploitation, end patronage in public employment, and build a merit-based system. “Traders should not be exploited under unfair tax regimes. We desire a Uganda where jobs are not limited to a connected few, but where those qualified can serve their country. With your courage, sacrifice and the grace of God, we shall reach that new Uganda,” he said.
He also highlighted NUP’s grassroots investments, leadership training, and support for families of political prisoners as proof of the party’s resilience despite state pressure.
Kyagulanyi will face President Museveni, who was nominated on Tuesday, alongside other contenders: Gen. Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), Nathan Nandala Mafabi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Elton Joseph Mabirizi of the Conservative Party (CP), and Robert Kasibante of the National Peasants Party (NPP).
The 2026 presidential race is expected to be one of the most fiercely contested in Uganda’s recent history.
