We refuse to be provoked into violence — NUP's Kyagulanyi

IGANGA - National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has vowed to maintain a strictly non-violent campaign even as he accused security agencies of deliberate obstruction, after he "postponed" a rally in Iganga Municipality on Friday.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday (October 4) at Brisk Recreation Hotel in Jinja on day six of his Busoga sub-region campaign trail, Kyagulanyi declared that his team would not be drawn into conflict despite what he termed as "repeated provocations".

“We refuse to be provoked into violence. We are non-violent. We are going to run this campaign on morality and adherence to the law, while exposing all illegality and impunity by the police,” he said.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday (October 4) at Brisk Recreation Hotel in Jinja on day six of his Busoga sub-region campaign trail, Kyagulanyi declared that his team would not be drawn into conflict despite what he termed as "repeated provocations". (All Photos by Ponsiano Nsimbi)

He specifically accused security forces of blocking him from using main roads and preventing his campaign in Iganga — an area where he claimed other presidential candidates had been allowed to hold rallies.

Kyagulanyi further alleged that police patrol vehicles were deliberately slowing his convoy, causing delays and forcing him to miss the campaign cut-off time of 6pm. 

However, Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma released a statement on Friday refuting the NUP's claims that Kyagulanyi had been denied the opportunity to campaign in Iganga.

Kituuma clarified that the NUP team had successfully held an earlier scheduled rally in Mayuge district. He said that while on their way to Iganga from Mayuge, Kyagulanyi and his group were advised to follow an agreed-upon route to the designated venue at Namungalwe Grounds.

“They opted to take an alternative route where they encountered our cutoffs. Consequently, they decided to head to Jinja city and cancelled their campaign in Iganga,” said Kituuma, urging the NUP team to adhere to security guidelines. 

In response to the blockades, NUP secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya confirmed the party had written to the Electoral Commission seeking clarification on what they called unequal treatment of candidates regarding campaign venues. 

Kyagulanyi himself promised supporters that arrangements were being made to reschedule the rally.

The NUP leader praised supporters for their warm reception across the region and was scheduled to conclude the first phase of his Busoga tour with rallies in Namayingo and Bugiri on Saturday.

During his campaigns so far, Kyagulanyi has highlighted key elements of the NUP manifesto, anchoring his message on an 11-point reform programme intended to "fix" the country.

At the heart of the NUP’s reform agenda are constitutional changes, including the reinstatement of presidential age and term limits, the abolition of military courts for civilians, and the restoration of judicial independence.

Kyagulanyi pledged his first act as president would be the unconditional release of all political prisoners.

He also promised major cuts in public expenditure, vowing to slash the size of both Parliament and Cabinet, limiting ministers to 20, and abolishing the office of the resident district commissioner (RDC) to save funds for improving service delivery.

​On corruption, Kyagulanyi pledged to combat graft, which he claimed costs the nation an estimated 10 trillion shillings annually, and reinvest the recovered resources into public services.

Addressing concerns in Busoga, he specifically promised to tackle the crisis in the sugarcane sector, where farmers are reportedly struggling with prices that have plummeted from sh250,000 to sh120,000 per tonne. 

Kyagulanyi vowed to empower farmers through co-operatives and ensure local ownership of factories to combat what he described as exploitative pricing.