Apac, Uganda: The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, has urged Ugandans to use their votes as instruments of protest to end what he described as President Yoweri Museveni’s 40-year rule of fear, corruption, and tribal dominance.
Addressing thousands of charged supporters at Apac Boma Grounds on Friday, Kyagulanyi declared that Uganda had endured “too long under one man, one family, and one tribe,” and that the 2026 general elections must mark the rebirth of a nation founded on equality, justice, and freedom.
“Museveni should be the last dictator in Uganda,” Bobi Wine said to thunderous applause. “We must use our votes to remove him forever because we do not want a country that is ruled by one family and one tribe. We deserve a Uganda that belongs to all Ugandans — north, south, east, and west.”
Kyagulanyi pledged that if elected, his government would restore dignity to public servants by ensuring that no government employee earns below Shs 1 million, and that all promotions and appointments would be based on merit, not tribal affiliation or political loyalty.
“Every civil servant will be respected and treated equally,” he said, as the crowd chanted, “People Power! Our Power!”
The NUP leader accused the Museveni administration of presiding over widespread corruption, claiming that Uganda loses over Shs 10 trillion annually to graft — funds he said could transform the nation’s education, health, and infrastructure sectors.
“In five years, we lose Shs 50 trillion — enough to tarmac every road in Uganda and stock every hospital with drugs,” he lamented. “Instead, our people die in hospitals without medicine, and our children drop out of school because teachers are unpaid.”
Bobi Wine Speaks to the ‘Silent Majority’
Political analysts say Kyagulanyi’s message resonates deeply with Ugandans disillusioned by decades of governance under the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Mr. Tommy Okada, Executive Director of Friends of Good Will–Uganda, described Bobi Wine’s message as “a painful truth many Ugandans have long felt but feared to speak.”
“For 40 years, Uganda’s governance has been built on fear and patronage,” Okada observed. “Kyagulanyi is tapping into the frustration of citizens who feel left behind. His call for a protest vote is not just political — it’s moral. It’s a demand for the restoration of national dignity.”
In northern Uganda, his message appeared to strike an even deeper chord. Mr. Opwonya Tom Superman, Executive Director of the Apac Anti-Corruption Coalition (TAACC), said Kyagulanyi’s remarks echoed the lingering frustration in a region that has long grappled with the scars of conflict and neglect.
“When Bobi Wine speaks of ending corruption and tribalism, he speaks to the pain of northern Uganda — a region that has endured marginalization and manipulation,” Opwonya said. “His message connects because people are tired of empty promises and selective development.”
NRM Responds: ‘Museveni Has Built This Nation’
However, the ruling NRM has dismissed Bobi Wine’s remarks as reckless populism. Mr. Bonny Ojaa, the NRM Registrar for Apac, said Kyagulanyi was misleading young voters and undermining President Museveni’s legacy.
“President Museveni has built this country from the ruins of war. The roads, schools, and hospitals that Kyagulanyi talks about were all constructed under this government,” Ojaa said. “Bobi Wine should respect the elders who liberated Uganda and stop using emotions to deceive voters.”
Despite such rebuttals, many residents interviewed by DailyExpress at the Apac rally said they view Bobi Wine as a courageous leader who speaks truth to power.
“We have been ruled by fear for too long,” said Grace Acan, a market vendor in Apac Town. “Bobi Wine speaks what is in our hearts — that it’s time to reclaim our country.”
‘Time to Reclaim Our Nation’
In his closing remarks, Kyagulanyi reflected on Uganda’s long history of division and repression since Museveni came to power in 1986. “I was only four years old when Museveni took power. For 40 years, he has taught us to hate each other — to see tribes instead of brothers,” he said. “But today, we must open our eyes. We are one Uganda, one people, and this is the time to reclaim our country.”
He concluded with a defiant call to action that electrified the crowd: “Our votes must be our protest. Our unity must be our weapon. And our time — the people’s time — has come.”
With the 2026 general elections fast approaching, Kyagulanyi’s rally in Apac underscored not only the intensifying political battle for Uganda’s future but also the growing appetite for change among a generation that has never known another president.
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