Outspoken political analyst and Chairperson of the Council for Abavandimwe, Frank Gashumba, has sparked debate over Uganda’s electoral politics, arguing that elections largely serve the interests of politicians rather than the voters they seek to represent.
Speaking on NBS Barometer on Tuesday, Gashumba challenged Ugandans to reassess their expectations of elected leaders, particularly Members of Parliament (MPs).
“The good life you seek will not be brought to you by any MP. Elections will benefit the life of the MP, not you the voter. If you want a good life, wake up, go to work, and strive to attain it,” Gashumba said.
He also criticized opposition politics, singling out National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, accusing him of contradictions between his political messaging and personal circumstances.
“You cannot claim that Uganda is bleeding when you have accumulated wealth in the same country,” Gashumba said, arguing that such claims weaken the credibility of NUP’s narrative.
Gashumba compared the current political climate with the periods surrounding Dr. Kizza Besigye’s presidential campaigns in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016, which were marked by confrontations with the state. He suggested that Kyagulanyi’s approach appears less confrontational and more aligned with institutional opposition politics.
According to Gashumba, Kyagulanyi is positioning himself more as a Leader of the Opposition, focused on coming second after President Yoweri Museveni, rather than driving radical political change.
“Kyagulanyi himself once said that if you fight Museveni, one of three things will happen — prison, exile, or death. The only person who genuinely opposed the government was Dr. Kizza Besigye. All other candidates are simply escorting Museveni,” Gashumba said.
He further questioned the opposition’s electoral strategy, expressing doubt over whether anything has fundamentally changed since the previous election cycle.
“What is Kyagulanyi doing differently from the last election to stop them from losing again? Protest vote? Let’s call it a business vote. They are simply looking for jobs,” he said.
Gashumba’s remarks have reignited debate over voter expectations, the role of opposition politics, and whether elections can meaningfully deliver socio-economic change or merely recycle political elites.
With less than three weeks to the elections, his comments highlight growing public discourse around political accountability, opposition strategy, and the real impact of electoral participation on the daily lives of Ugandans.
