Namutumba, Uganda: The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, has pledged sweeping reforms in health, education, and agriculture, vowing to prioritize Busoga’s pressing concerns, especially the unstable price of sugarcane.
While addressing a campaign rally at Ivukula Sub-county headquarters in Mpande Village, Namutumba District on Thursday, Kyagulanyi, a known arch-rival of the Museveni-led government, criticized the country’s poor health system, describing it as “unbelievable,” and promised to extend medical services closer to the people, improve health workers’ pay, and equip hospitals with modern facilities.
“Our target is to have a well-stocked Health Center III every three kilometers. In Uganda, every day we register 10 maternity deaths and 300 babies die because health systems are unreliable. We shall also ensure that each region gets a referral hospital like Mulago to handle complex cases. I was shocked when I visited Jinja Referral and found that the facility itself was sick,” Kyagulanyi said.
Earlier, in Bugweri District at Buyanga Sub-county headquarters, the NUP leader rallied supporters to vote for NUP candidates “from president to the lowest leaders,” promising to deliver on the party’s 2026 manifesto.
He pledged salary increments for government workers, promising that the least-paid security officer would earn Shs1 million or more, while teachers and medical workers would receive better pay and timely salaries. He also promised to recruit more doctors to address Uganda’s poor patient-to-health-worker ratio.
Bugweri leaders, led by NUP Woman MP flag bearer Mercy Walukamba, raised concerns about fluctuating sugarcane prices. In response, Kyagulanyi assured growers that under an NUP government, “farmers will control the prices” instead of being exploited by millers.
“The fluctuating price of a ton of sugarcane is one of the reasons this region remains poor. Many households depend on cane growing, but they are cheated by exploiters who earn more than the farmers themselves,” Kyagulanyi said.
He also condemned government evictions from wetlands, noting that much of Busoga land consists of wetlands. He proposed environmentally friendly usage rather than forced evictions.
On education, Kyagulanyi decried the closure of Busoga University for nearly a decade, blaming government for “killing the dreams” of young people who could have studied nearby. He pledged to support both private and public universities if elected.
He further promised to tackle poverty in Busoga by setting up youth income-generating projects, addressing unemployment, fighting teenage pregnancies, reviving industries, and improving education standards in the region.
Security was heightened throughout Thursday as Kyagulanyi campaigned in Bugweri and Namutumba. He was diverted from the Jinja-Bugiri highway and forced to use the Musita-Busia road, entering Bugweri through Nondwe before proceeding to Buyanga Sub-county headquarters.
Later in the day, he addressed a rally in Namutumba without major resistance, although security blocked him from accessing busy centers like Idudi in Bugweri and Namutumba Town.
Kyagulanyi will today (Friday, October 03) continue his campaign trail with scheduled rallies in Mayuge and Iganga, before wrapping up the Busoga tour with Saturday rallies in Namayingo and Bugiri districts.
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