NUP's Kyagulanyi takes campaign message to Buyende, Kamuli

BUYENDE - National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, on Tuesday officially launched his campaign activities in the eastern Uganda districts of Buyende and Kamuli, drawing large crowds and vowing to take over power.

Kyagulanyi, who spent Monday night in Jinja city, set off on his campaign trail at 9am in a convoy of nine vehicles, moving under a relatively calm atmosphere that has characterised his tours since his nomination last week.

The tour is part of a broader mobilisation campaign across the Busoga sub-region, an area that has historically supported the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Speaking at a rally in Jinja on Monday, Kyagulanyi was critical of the NRM government and emphasised that NUP offers a new political path anchored in integrity, youth empowerment, and citizen-led governance.

“We want to break this cycle where only the rich or the corrupt can afford to contest for leadership,” he said while campaigning at Kagoma Primary School playground on Monday. “The cost of politics must come down.”

Kyagulanyi is vying for the Ugandan presidency alongside seven other candidates, including the incumbent, President Museveni of the NRM.

Kyagulanyi is vying for the Ugandan presidency alongside seven other candidates, including the incumbent, President Museveni of the NRM.

The others are:

▪️ (Rtd) Maj. Gen. Gregory Mugisha Muntu (Alliance for National Transformation - ANT)

▪️ Nathan Nandala Mafabi (Forum for Democratic Change - FDC)

▪️ Mubarak Munyagwa (Common Man's Party (CMP)

▪️ Elton Joseph Mabirizi (Conservative Party - CP)

▪️ Frank Bulira Kabinga (Revolutionary People’s Party - RPP)

▪️ Robert Kasibante (National Peasants Party - NPP)

A day on the trail

Earlier in Kamuli, Kyagulanyi was welcomed by enthusiastic supporters who had organised processions along the roads.

However, his team did not make a stopover there, opting instead to travel the 88-kilometre journey to Buyende before concluding the day in Kamuli, where former Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga (NRM) is seeking re-election as Woman Member of Parliament.

Earlier in Kamuli, Kyagulanyi was welcomed by enthusiastic supporters who had organised processions along the roads.

Throughout Tuesday’s journey, police maintained a visible but non-confrontational presence — a notable contrast to previous tours that were frequently marred by clashes and arrests.

Kyagulanyi’s visit marks a significant milestone in NUP’s early preparations for the 2026 general elections, reinforcing his image as the leading opposition figure seeking to end Museveni’s decades-long rule.

While campaigning in Busoga, Kyagulanyi has capitalised on local grievances, including alleged brutality against fishermen and plummeting sugarcane prices.

“I request all of you to be our ambassadors of this campaign — to take over this campaign, to own it, and to stand in our shoes wherever we are not,” he told supporters during his inaugural Busoga rally on Monday.

Busoga comprises eleven districts: Kamuli, Iganga, Bugiri, Mayuge, Jinja, Luuka, and the newer districts of Bugweri, Buyende, Kaliro, Namutumba, and Namayingo.