National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has said President Yoweri Museveni will be protected if he peacefully hands over power after the 2026 elections.
Speaking to thousands of supporters at Busubizi playground in Mityana District on Monday, Kyagulanyi said Ugandans would continue to suffer as long as Museveni remains in power. He said that if Museveni peacefully handed over power, they would protect him.
Kyagulanyi urged Ugandans to turn out in large numbers and vote the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government out of power in January 2026. He criticised the government for poor roads and failed service delivery in Buganda, but said he would not dwell on regional issues to avoid being accused of tribal bias. He added that people could see the poor and impassable roads and other failed services, but that for now, they should simply vote the NRM government out of power.
He promised that teachers’ salaries would be a top priority under a NUP government, along with better pay for security personnel, which he said could help reduce brutality against civilians. He also said they would create 10 million jobs for Ugandans, a statement that drew loud applause from supporters.
Kyagulanyi asked voters in Mityana to support only NUP flag bearers, saying they represent the true vision and values of the party. He also advised residents not to re-elect incumbent MPs Joyce Bagala (Mityana Woman MP) and Richard Lumu (Mityana South), both of whom he accused of straying from the party’s principles.
Earlier in the day, Kyagulanyi began his campaign tour in Busunju (Mityana North), where he rode on a boda boda to the playground, drawing excitement from the crowd. He later proceeded to Busubizi playground for the main rally. His campaign trail was briefly disrupted by heavy rain that made roads muddy and by security officers who blocked his convoy from passing through the town centre, where he had planned to open a new NUP office.
The rally almost failed to take place after a disagreement between NUP officials and district security leaders over the choice of venue. Authorities stopped the party from using the Mityana-Ssaza Grounds in the town centre, ordering that the rally be held at Busubizi playground, about five kilometres away.
Kyagulanyi arrived at the venue at around 5:30pm, where party leaders said the event would also mark the official launch of his campaign in Buganda Region, considered NUP’s political stronghold. Deputy Resident District Commissioner Prossy Mwanjuzi defended the decision to change the venue, saying it was necessary for safety reasons. She explained that their responsibility was to maintain order and ensure the safety of everyone, adding that the change of venue had been purely a security precaution.
However, NUP leaders accused district authorities of political interference and deliberate attempts to frustrate Opposition activities. Busujju County MP David Lukyamuzi Kalwanga said that their president had every right to meet his supporters, noting that Mityana had always been peaceful and that what they were witnessing was not security management but political intimidation.
Kyagulanyi’s visit to Mityana is part of his week-long campaign tour across Buganda Region. He is expected to hold rallies in Kassanda and Mubende districts next.
