National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has pledged to return land grabbed from bona fide occupants within his first 100 days in office if elected president. Speaking at a rally in Kassanda District yesterday, Mr Kyagulanyi decried the plight of landless Ugandans.
‘Whoever has lost land to grabbers should just mark where that land is. I assure you, you will get it back in the first 100 days of my government,’ he told cheering supporters.
Like many districts in Buganda Sub-region, Kassanda has long been plagued by violent land wrangles, with residents accusing landlords and wealthy investors of forcefully taking ancestral land. At the same rally, Mr Kyagulanyi also promised to cut Uganda’s Cabinet to 20 ministers and reduce Parliament’s size, arguing that President Museveni’s administration has fostered a culture of wasteful spending. ‘I promise to cut extravagant and non-essential public expenditure-starting with reducing the Cabinet to a maximum of 20 ministers and slashing the number of MPs. Our legislators should go to Parliament to make laws that benefit the people, not to enrich themselves,’ he said.
Uganda currently has 529 MPs, one of the largest legislatures in Africa, with members among the continent’s best-paid. Flanked by several NUP MPs, the two-time presidential candidate vowed to fight corruption, which he said costs Uganda Shs10 trillion annually. He argued the money could instead fund infrastructure, health, and education.
‘This area has gold, and at least $2 billion is generated from this mineral every year. But this wealth benefits only a few government officials. We shall use such resources to repair roads, improve schools, and equip health centres. It’s not rocket science-it’s about honest leadership,’ he said.
Kassanda North MP Patrick Nsamba accused the government of neglecting the district as punishment for supporting Opposition candidates in the last general election. After Kassanda, Mr Kyagulanyi campaigned in Mubende District, another gold-rich area with 30,000 artisanal miners, many living in poverty despite the mineral’s value.
Uganda exports about 35,418 kilogrammes of gold annually, with two to five tonnes produced locally. A 2022 Auditor General report faulted the Uganda Revenue Authority for failing to collect Shs340 billion in gold taxes. Residents of both districts complain of poor infrastructure, limited health services, lack of electricity, and unsafe water. The Mityana-Mubende road, a key trade route, remains in disrepair, raising transport costs. ‘This road is a lifeline for traders, but its condition has made transport unbearable,’ said trader Joseph Musoke.
Similarly, the Lusalira-Kasambya-Nkonge-Sembabule road project has stalled, with compensation delays for displaced residents. Kassanda, carved out of Mubende District in 2019, lacks a district hospital and relies on Mubende Regional Referral Hospital. None of the three counties have functional Health Centre IVs. Large parts of Kassanda and Mubende remain off the national electricity grid, while urban areas experience frequent blackouts. Unsafe water sources shared with livestock continue to threaten residents’ health.
Mr Kyagulanyi is expected to campaign today in Kyankwanzi and Kiboga districts.