Kyagulanyi unveils campaign poster, declares 2026 presidential bid

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The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party has unveiled its presidential campaign poster, officially declaring party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, as its flag bearer for the 2026 elections.

Kyagulanyi, who has expressed interest in running for the top office, becomes the first party candidate to receive the flag from the NUP electoral management committee, which is currently vetting over 7,800 aspirants whose fate remains uncertain.

The unveiling of his campaign poster, bearing two key political phrases — “Protest Vote” and “A New Uganda Now!” — marked his second formal bid for the presidency, following his contentious 2021 contest against President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who has led the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government since 1986.

NUP party supporters holding the campaign portrait of Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi that was unveiled on Wednesday at Makerere Kavule in Kampala. (Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba)

The declaration

The event drew a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters. Kyagulanyi was joined by members of the NUP national executive committee, who received a group including an 80-year-old woman and a young man holding the campaign poster, to loud cheers from the crowd.

“I confirm that I shall be on the ballot. In the name of NUP, we are going to win the 2026 elections and we are going to defeat President Museveni, who is on a spending spree to win back the ghetto youth and unemployed Ugandans seeking cheap favours,” Kyagulanyi declared.

A protest vote

Holding the party’s umbrella symbol, Kyagulanyi framed his campaign as a “protest vote” against decades of oppression, disappearances, and injustice. He urged Ugandans to support his bid under the rallying call “Protest Vote 2026”, aimed at galvanising citizens frustrated with the status quo.

The NUP leader described his decision to run again as a continuation of an “unfinished mission” to free Uganda from years of political repression, corruption, land grabbing, and judicial injustices.

Support and symbolism

The event was attended by family members of individuals who have either been detained or forcibly disappeared, many of whom are linked to the political activism surrounding the People Power movement.

Kyagulanyi paid tribute to these families, expressing gratitude to the mothers of Eddie Mutwe and Yasin Ssekitoleko, both of whom are imprisoned, and to the wives of disappeared activists Ddamulira John and Johnbosco Kibalama.

Kyagulanyi’s declaration sets the stage for a high-stakes political rematch with President Museveni. The early announcement signals an intensifying showdown between the established regime and rising demands for systemic change, particularly from Uganda’s youth population, who constitute the majority of the electorate.

NUP candidates react to Kyagulanyi’s bid

Isaac Tomusange, the Mityana North Member of Parliament aspirant, congratulated Kyagulanyi and urged NUP supporters to desist from ethnic-based campaign messaging, warning that such rhetoric could lead the country into anarchy.

“Those who are fronting campaigns with ethnic messages should stop such opium. NUP stands for unity, and that’s why we shall emphasise national reconciliation and dialogue to bring back unity of all stakeholders in a new Uganda,” Tomusange insisted.

Kyadondo East MP, Muwada Nkunyingi, called on Ugandans to envision a country that respects the customs and traditions of its people.

“President Museveni has split the country on tribal lines, and it is upon us to correct such a mistake where people are voting based on tribal lines and religious affiliations,” he condemned.

Nyendo-Mukungwe County aspirant, Javilla Lubowa Ssebina, encouraged voters to consolidate NUP strongholds across the country, saying it is the only genuine opposition party focused on addressing the needs of ordinary Ugandans.