National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has officially been nominated to contest in the 2026 Presidential Elections, making him the sixth candidate overall and the third to be nominated on Day Two of the exercise.
Kyagulanyi, who was also a presidential contender in the 2021 polls, fulfilled the requirements under the Presidential Elections Act, Cap 179, and was duly declared a candidate for next year’s highly anticipated election.
Moments after his nomination, Kyagulanyi delivered a strong message to President Yoweri Museveni, who at 81 is seeking a seventh consecutive term in office after nearly four decades in power. He appealed to the incumbent to ensure a peaceful and democratic transition.
“Uganda was here before you and it will be here long after you are gone. You don’t have to burn it down on your way out,” Kyagulanyi said. “The best guarantee for your legacy, your security, and what you and your people have earned in the last 40 years, is to allow a peaceful, orderly and democratic transition.”
Addressing supporters at Nateete Playground, the NUP candidate acknowledged the risks involved in challenging the status quo but urged Ugandans not to give up.
“I know many of you are asking, why do we go to polls? Why do we risk the tear gas, the bullets, the arrests, the torture chambers, the deaths, and all the mess awaiting us? My answer is, we risk it all because the other alternative is giving up, and that is ten times worse,” he said.
Kyagulanyi’s nomination sets the stage for a high-stakes contest against Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986.