Kyagulanyi Declares 2026 Polls a Protest Against 40 Years of Injustice

National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, delivered a fiery speech following his official nomination to take part in the 2026 Presidential election.

The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama, formally nominated Kyagulanyi on Wednesday afternoon at Lubowa.

Addressing the press, Kyagulanyi framed the 2026 election as a decisive moment in Uganda’s democratic struggle, declaring it not just an electoral contest but “a protest against 40 years of injustice.”

“We first made our attempt five years ago in 2021. Hundreds of our brothers and sisters were tortured, many arrested and still in prison, many killed, and many missing. Yet we refuse to give up,” Kyagulanyi said. “If we surrender now, it means that the fighting spirit of Rita Nabukenya, Frank Senteza, Yasin Kawuma and many others has been defeated. That would be betrayal.”

Kyagulanyi told Ugandans that despite the risks of tear gas, bullets, torture, and prison, his camp will continue in the struggle, insisting that “giving up is ten times worse.” He urged supporters to turn the election into a legal, constitutional, and non-violent protest.

“We have voted before, we have won before, and we have been rigged before. But this election is no usual election,” he declared. “We must use this season to rally Ugandans to express their anger and their hope at the ballot box, numbers too big to rig.”

Kyagulanyi extended a message to Ugandans abroad, whom he described as “the biggest investors in Uganda” for remitting over $2 billion annually. He decried the fear many in the diaspora face about returning home, citing cases of abductions and harassment of returnees.

“We are fighting so that you can return to your home with roses, not handcuffs,” he said.

Kyagulanyi urged President Yoweri Museveni to allow a peaceful transition of power after nearly four decades in office.

“Uganda was here before you and will be here long after you are gone,” Kyagulanyi said. “The best guarantee for your legacy and security is to allow an orderly and democratic transition of power. We are not vengeful. We still believe in peace, justice, and reconciliation.”

He also paid tribute to political prisoners, naming Dr Kizza Besigye, Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, Eddie Mutwe, and others still behind bars. “We honour you, we think about you, we pray for you, and we are fighting for you,” he said.

He called on his campaign team and supporters to remain disciplined and vigilant throughout what he predicted would be “an even more violent campaign.”

“Your duty is not to protect me, but to protect each other and the ordinary people who come to our rallies,” he urged. “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, but do not show fear.”

Reflecting on Uganda’s history, Kyagulanyi likened today’s struggle to the sacrifices of past generations.

“Our grandparents shed blood for independence 62 years ago. Our parents shed blood for liberation 40 years ago. Our comrades today are in prison or missing for this very struggle,” he said. “Freedom never comes easy, but it will come.”

He emphasised that the fight is not against individual police officers or soldiers but against a system that also leaves them in poverty. “They are victims too,” he said.

Kyagulanyi told supporters that the stakes were historic and that failure was not an option.

“We must get our freedom or at least die trying. This is not a matter of if, but when. In the end, we shall be free. And if things are not all right yet, then it is not the end,” he concluded.