National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, has called for sweeping changes to electoral system, including barring the incumbent president from appointing members of the Electoral Commission.
Kyagulanyi criticised current reform proposals, saying they fail to address the root causes of electoral injustices. He also called for the introduction of a presidential age limit as part of the reforms.
“Whoever wants to bring electoral reforms should start with proposals to bar the incumbent from appointing the Electoral Commission. I did not see that in the available proposals,” he said while appearing on a local media.
Kyagulanyi urged Ugandans to take charge of their destiny, asserting that they remain their own hope for meaningful change.
Recounting his time as a Member of Parliament, Kyagulanyi highlighted how parliament’s resolutions were often disregarded by the government.
“Parliament has made several good proposals that have been rejected by the regime. Personally, when I was an MP, I appealed to parliament when my right to livelihood was threatened by the state. The parliament directives barring the state from witch-hunting me were rejected,” he said.
He also condemned the recent actions of the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), who defied a summons to appear before the parliamentary Defense Committee.
Kyagulanyi’s remarks come as discussions on electoral reforms intensify ahead of the 2026 general elections. The government has yet to respond to his specific recommendations.
Former Leader of the Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga, who recently observed the U.S. elections, praised the independence of electoral workers as essential to transparency.
He urged Uganda to adopt similar reforms to ensure fairness and credibility in the upcoming elections.
Other opposition leaders have also echoed calls for reforms to strengthen the independence and transparency of electoral process.
Observers note that these proposed changes could ignite significant debate over the structure and independence of the country’s electoral system.