National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, used the NTV Presidential Debate to deliver some of his strongest criticism yet of President Museveni’s four-decade rule, arguing that Uganda urgently needs a fresh start.
Bobi Wine told the audience that casting a vote for him is a direct vote to end “40 years of dictatorship,” insisting that the country has been “completely messed up” and requires a full reset. He said Uganda’s challenges—corruption, bad governance, misuse of security forces and economic frustrations—stem from a leadership that has stayed too long and lost direction.
“I don’t present myself as the most capable, the most educated, the oldest or the most experienced,” he said. “But I present myself as the most committed to lead this generation.”
He pledged that if elected president, he would not use the police or the army to intimidate political opponents, noting that Ugandans deserve security institutions that serve the country instead of one leader. He described himself as a “legitimate rebel,” comparing his struggle to Museveni’s rebellion in the 1980s—only that his is non-violent.
Bobi Wine placed corruption at the centre of his campaign message, arguing that meaningful reform must begin at the presidency.
“We are in a country where the Head of State is the chief priest of corruption,” he said. “Our commitment will be zero tolerance to corruption. Anybody who puts their hand in public money will not remove only the hand—the neck will go there as well.”
He added that without political will from the top, institutions cannot function properly or hold offenders accountable.
Reacting to President Museveni’s decision to skip the debate, Bobi Wine said the incumbent has the right to stay away but argued that his absence represents a leader “stuck in the past,” unable to participate in conversations that matter for the country’s future.
“It’s his right not to be here because he is in the past,” he said. “We are discussing the future of our country.”
