Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has formally submitted his expression of interest to run for Uganda’s presidency in 2026 under the National Unity Platform, rallying supporters behind a “protest vote” against decades of oppression.
Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform (NUP) president and runner-up in Uganda’s 2021 presidential election, officially declared his 2026 presidential candidacy at the party headquarters in Makerere Kavule, Kampala.
The event drew a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters, and he was joined by his wife, Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi, and their son, Shadrack Mbogo.
Kyagulanyi described his decision to run again as a continuation of an “unfinished mission” to free Uganda from years of political repression and injustice.
He acknowledged the sacrifices of detained and disappeared comrades, paying tribute to their families who stood with him during the announcement.
“In a special way, some family members of our detained or disappeared comrades also offered to come with me, to assert the fact that our mission is not yet complete,” Kyagulanyi said, expressing gratitude to the mothers of Eddie Mutwe and Yasin Ssekitoleko, both held without trial, as well as the wives of the disappeared activists Ddamulira John and Johnbosco Kibalama.
Reaffirming his commitment to a people-centered movement, Kyagulanyi urged Ugandans to back his campaign under the rallying call #ProtestVote2026, which seeks to galvanize citizens frustrated with the status quo.