National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, spent yesterday campaigning across Masaka, one of Buganda Kingdom’s most politically influential cities.
Wearing a kanzu, the Kingdom’s traditional men’s attire, Kyagulanyi received an enthusiastic welcome from supporters, despite earlier delays caused by a security roadblock in Lwera.
Masaka has historically been one of his strongest bases; during the 2021 presidential race, Bobi Wine secured 76,576 votes in Masaka District and Masaka City combined, out of the 104,209 valid votes cast. The remaining ten candidates together garnered just over 27,000 votes.
During his rallies in Kimanya–Kabonera and later at Ssaza Grounds, Kyagulanyi again raised concerns about alleged election malpractice. He said that election rigging has persisted largely because the government cuts off internet access during presidential polls.
“Find alternative ways to communicate when the internet is switched off. Prepare for how you will pass information when networks are blocked. And turn up in overwhelming numbers on January 15, 2026. That is how you fulfil your constitutional duty,” he urged supporters.
He also appealed to communities to assist the elderly, persons with disabilities, and the sick at polling stations so they can cast their votes without difficulty.
“January 15 is the day that will determine whether we step into a new Uganda. You will decide whether we get better roads, clean water, electricity, and whether people like Dr. Kizza Besigye and Eddy Mutwe regain their freedom. On that day, you are the judges,” Kyagulanyi told the crowd.
The NUP leader reiterated his long-standing claim that he won the 2021 election but was denied victory through rigging. He said that after failing to secure a fair hearing in court, he resolved to take his case to the “court of public opinion” and is now asking Ugandans to correct the injustice at the ballot box in 2026.
Kyagulanyi also criticized the army’s deployment on major lakes, saying that operations against illegal fishing have devastated the livelihoods of local fishermen. With Masaka being one of Uganda’s major coffee-producing regions, he pledged to improve farmers’ earnings by supporting better coffee production and value addition.
