Nakaseke South Member of Parliament Paulson Luttamaguzi Ssemakula has urged the ruling party to take seriously the growing calls for a peaceful and democratic transition of power, declaring that Ugandans are “ready for change” despite intimidation, violence and harsh conditions.
Speaking during Sanyuka One on One on Thursday, Luttamaguzi hailed the resilience of thousands who braved heavy rains to gather in Nateete to support National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, populary known as Bobi Wine, in his post-nomination rally on Wednesday.
Luttamaguzi dismissed claims that supporters were mobilised with cash incentives, saying the turnout reflected a “national cause” driven by genuine desire for liberation.
“No one was paid to come to Nateete. Despite the heavy rains, people gathered with discipline and determination. They showed that Ugandans are ready for change, no matter what comes,” Luttamaguzi said.
Luttamaguzi, a staunch NUP member, argued that politics is not about personal glory but about the will of citizens to reclaim their country, criticizing the arrests of supporters who chanted “Lumba Lumba” ; a popular anthem of solidarity with Kyagulanyi.
He framed the moment as crucial, noting that ordinary Ugandans are calling for an orderly, democratic handover of power.
“Gen. Museveni and your group, this is an important moment while succession is being considered. The people are calling for a genuine and peaceful transition. Transition has begun, and it has no set timeline,” he said.
Luttamaguzi reiterated NUP’s long-standing claim that Kyagulanyi won the 2021 presidential election with over 65 percent of the vote, insisting that “the people’s mandate must be respected.”
“We don’t have time for games anymore. GDP figures don’t feed people; citizens want food on their plates and money in their pockets,” he said, taking a sharp swipe at Museveni’s boast of having gigantically increased Uganda’s GDP from Shs 127 trillion (USD 34 billion) to Shs 247 trillion (USD 66 billion) in the last five years.
Luttamaguzi’s scathing assessment comes a day after Bobi Wine was officially nominated to contest as a presidential candidate under the NUP ticket during the 2026 elections pledging to end what he called decades of “exploitation and misrule” under President Museveni.
During his nomination at the Electoral Commission headquarters in Lubowa, Kyagulanyi promised Ugandans a “real choice” in 2026, accusing the NRM government of reducing citizens to “slaves in their own land.”
He urged Museveni to allow for a democratic transition, declaring that “Uganda belongs to us all” and calling the coming election a protest vote against injustice.
Kyagulanyi rallied supporters to fight for farmers, jobless graduates, and the country’s youth, asserting that Uganda’s problem was not poverty but “a lack of leadership that serves the people instead of terrorizing them.”
As the 2026 general election approaches, Luttamaguzi’s comments underscore growing pressure on the ruling party to manage what opposition figures insist is an inevitable political transition.