National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential flag bearer Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, officially kicked off his 2026 campaign trail in Jinja on Monday with the unveiling of his party's manifesto titled "A New Uganda Now."
The 38-page document outlines 11 key policy priorities, with Kyagulanyi vowing to restore constitutional order, reduce wasteful government expenditure, and boost funding for social services.
The launch marked the beginning of what is expected to be a high-energy campaign aimed at unseating President Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986.
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"Ugandans have been betrayed for far too long," Kyagulanyi told thousands of supporters gathered at the campaign ground in Buwenge Town Council. "This manifesto is not just a document; it is a commitment to build a country that works for all its citizens, not just a privileged few."
The day began with a media briefing in Kampala before Kyagulanyi set off at 11:27 a.m., flanked by a massive convoy of bodaboda riders and vehicles. The journey through Kalagi-Kayunga road was met with cheers from roadside crowds. However, upon reaching the outskirts of Jinja by 2:00 p.m., the campaign team encountered security roadblocks.
Police had sealed off key access routes into the city, forcing the team to take alternative feeder roads through the Madhvani sugarcane plantations in Kakira. The detour delayed their arrival by nearly an hour and a half, drawing criticism from the NUP leadership.
"This was clearly a calculated move to frustrate our campaign," said NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya. "But no amount of intimidation will deter our mission."
At the heart of "A New Uganda Now" is a pledge to restore constitutionalism, uphold the rule of law, and promote respect for human rights, which Kyagulanyi described as the "cornerstones of any functioning democracy."
"We are not just promising change for the sake of it," he said. "We are promising a return to dignity, to the rule of law, to an Uganda where people are free to speak, organize, and dream."
Kyagulanyi pledged to reduce the size of both the executive and the legislature, arguing that the current bloated system drains resources that could be redirected to critical services.
"We cannot continue to maintain an oversized cabinet and a Parliament filled with rubber stamps," he declared. "We will cut down government structures and channel those savings into health, education, and infrastructure."
Uganda's debt burden has risen sharply in recent years. The NUP candidate promised a more prudent financial approach, focused on essential spending and curbing reckless borrowing. "We will enforce financial discipline. Borrowing must be the last resort--not a habit," he said.
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A key highlight of the manifesto is a proposal to increase funding to both health and education by 15 percent, citing the deteriorating quality of public services. "A country that fails to invest in its people is a country headed for collapse," Kyagulanyi said.
"We will ensure that every Ugandan child can access quality education and every citizen can receive proper medical care."
The manifesto launch drew large crowds in Jinja, a region that has seen growing support for opposition parties in recent election cycles. Supporters chanted, danced, and waved NUP flags, undeterred by the heavy police presence and disruptions to the campaign convoy.
Despite the enthusiasm, analysts caution that the road ahead remains steep. Kyagulanyi faces a heavily militarized political landscape, media restrictions, and what many observers describe as an uneven electoral playing field.
Still, the NUP leader appeared unfazed. "We are not afraid. We are many, and we are determined," he told supporters.
"This is a people's revolution, and no amount of repression can stop an idea whose time has come."
Following the Jinja launch, the NUP campaign is expected to continue traversing Busoga sub-region with Buyende and Kamuli being the targets for his second day on his campaign trail before heading northward in the coming weeks.
