Kyagulanyi’s week in Buganda: A call to rebuild Uganda from the ground up
Kyagulanyi, who kicked off his campaign rallies in Mityana district on Monday, October 6, drew massive crowds as he anchored his message on an 11-point reform agenda for a “new Uganda”.
NUP presidential candidate, s Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (top of the car) arrives in Kassanda district for his campaign rally on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. (Photos by Richard Sanya)
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National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, has concluded his week-long mobilisation tour of the Buganda region, outlining his vision for "a new Uganda".
The expansive tour through Mityana, Kassanda, Mubende, Kyankwanzi, Kiboga, Nakasongola and Nakaseke districts confirmed the NUP leader's determination to consolidate his support in the region, where he performed comparatively better than other presidential candidates in the 2021 elections.
The results announced in 2021 by the Electoral Commission showed that President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) won the election with 58.64% of the vote, while Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu of the National Unity Platform (NUP) garnered 35.08%.
Patrick Amuriat Oboi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) came third with 3.26%, while the remaining candidates — Joseph Kabuleta, Nancy Kalembe, Willy Mayambala, Fred Mwesigye, Mugisha Muntu and Henry Tumukunde — each received less than one percent of the total votes cast.
Despite winning nationally, President Yoweri Museveni secured only 35 percent of the vote in the Buganda region, while Kyagulanyi, who hails from the area, garnered 62.1 percent.
Kyagulanyi, who kicked off his campaign rallies in Mityana district on Monday, October 6, drew massive crowds as he anchored his message on an 11-point reform agenda for a “new Uganda”.
He promised to tear down the very scaffolding on which Uganda’s current governance structure stands.
He consistently vowed to purge waste and corruption, pointing specifically to an estimated annual loss of sh10 trillion, a figure he argued could have transformed hospitals, roads and schools.
To secure these savings, he promised decisive structural cuts, including the abolition of the resident district commissioner (RDC) office, reducing the Cabinet to a lean 20 ministers, and slashing parliamentary salaries and allowances.
At the same time, he made direct appeals to the civil service, pledging to reward their service by ensuring that the lowest-paid police officer would earn at least sh1 million.
The reformist vision extended deep into the institutional framework.
Speaking in Mityana, Kyagulanyi committed to a crucial overhaul of political party registration laws, accusing the incumbent government of manipulating the system to deliberately fragment the opposition.
He vowed to reinstate constitutional checks on power, including presidential term and age limits, and guaranteed the immediate release of all political prisoners as his first act in office, alongside the abolition of military courts for civilians.
Economically, the campaign zeroed in on the nation’s most pressing crisis: youth unemployment.
Tackling unemployment
Kyagulanyi promised to generate an ambitious 10 million jobs in five years through focused investment in manufacturing, ICT and agriculture, urging young people to reject the "politics of fear and dependency" and channel their energy into national productivity.
Nowhere was the clash between local grievance and national policy more evident than in Kassanda.
Here, the NUP leader directly confronted the issue of land grabbing, promising residents that the vice would be "history within the first year" of his presidency.
He exposed the irony of Kassanda’s wealth, contributing billions from gold, remaining underdeveloped and pledged to ensure communities benefit directly from the mineral resources currently enriching only a "few connected individuals".
The tour’s final messages focused on healing and unity. Campaigning in Kyankwanzi, Kyagulanyi strongly warned against the politics of tribalism and sectarianism, which he argued thrive only by dividing the populace.
He committed to national reconciliation, including compensation for victims of past conflicts such as the Bush War.
Maternal health
In Nakaseke, his focus shifted to the nation’s fundamental human capital, highlighting the unacceptable maternal mortality rate of 189 deaths per 100,000 live births as a national shame.
He pledged to prioritise maternal and child health, alongside a commitment to providing free education from nursery to university, ensuring "no child studies on an empty stomach".
Yet, the week was not defined solely by promises; it was punctuated by determined defiance. The police blockade in Mubende forced Kyagulanyi to walk several kilometres alongside his supporters to his campaign rally venue.
Kyagulanyi’s tour came amid internal challenges within his party. The National Unity Platform recently lost its deputy president for Buganda, Mathias Mpuuga, who has since formed his own political group.
Analysts say these developments could undermine Kyagulanyi’s prospects as he moves towards the 2026 elections.
However, Kyagulanyi will be encouraged by the enthusiasm on the trail despite the intermittent rain, poor roads, and blockades endured on some routes.
As NUP shifts its focus to the Bukedi region, starting with Budaka and Butebo on Monday, October 13, the key challenge remains translating this momentum and sweeping reform rhetoric into credible, implementable policy that can secure a victory in the 2026 general elections.