Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, and president of the National Unity Platform (NUP), has called on his supporters to be his “shield, eye, courage, and strength” as Uganda heads into the 2026 presidential elections.
Kyagulanyi made the remarks shortly after his official nomination as a presidential candidate at the Electoral Commission headquarters in Lweza.
Bobi Wine’s nomination follows that of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (National Resistance Movement – NRM), Elton Joseph Mabirizi (Conservative Party – CP), Robert Kasibante (National Peasants Party – NPP), Nathan Nandala Mafabi (Forum for Democratic Change -FDC), and Mugisha Muntu (Alliance for National Transformation – ANT).
“I thank you very much for the trust that you’ve continued to place in me ever since I offered myself for the first time for the presidential office in 2021. We have been everywhere preaching the message of a new Uganda, and today, with this nomination, we begin the final phase of our mission to freedom and true independence,” he said.
He reflected on Uganda’s history of violent power transitions, saying that since the country’s independence in 1962, every change in leadership has been marked by bloodshed and sacrifice, often borne by ordinary citizens, while those who promised liberation ended up delivering oppression.
“We first made our attempt five years ago, in 2021. Our brothers and sisters were tortured. Many were arrested and are still in prison to this day. Many were killed, and others are still missing. And yet we refuse to give up,” he said.
Kyagulanyi urged his supporters to use this election season to rally Ugandans to express both anger and hope through the ballot box.
“We shall walk but not get tired. We shall suffer but we shall not die. It will be painful, but we shall win. In the end, we shall reach a new Uganda where teachers, soldiers, health workers, and others are paid fairly, and where farmers earn decent incomes from their produce.”
He announced that the party will soon unveil its manifesto, painting a clearer picture of the Uganda they envision, a country where leaders serve the people, not the other way around.
“To the comrades I will be moving with on this campaign trail, the foot soldiers, the ordinary citizens of Uganda who have nothing else to offer to their country but their bodies, we have stood together through tear gas, bullets, beatings, abductions, courtrooms, prison cells, and funerals,” he said.
Kyagulanyi acknowledged the difficult road ahead and warned of potential violence during the campaign, but remained resolute:
“We go into what is likely to be an even more violent campaign. I will be relying on you, my friends. We are embarking on a Long Walk to Freedom. Whatever lies ahead will test everything we stand for but I guarantee you, brothers and sisters, freedom will come. After all, freedom never comes easy.”
“Our grandparents shed blood for the independence of this country 62 years ago. Our comrades are now in prison for this very struggle. They have shed blood, and many of them are still missing.” he said.
