Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Ssentamu Kyangulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has appealed to police and army personnel to vote him in the January 15, 2026, presidential elections, promising reforms that reward rather than punish officers who have previously enforced orders against him.
Addressing supporters in Serere Town Council, Bobi Wine urged security personnel to consider their families and livelihoods when casting their votes.
Police and UPDF have repeatedly faced scrutiny over alleged heavy-handedness as Bobi Wine campaigns for 2026 polls.
‘I request you to ask your wives to vote for me. I request you to vote me because I will not hold what you have done against me,’ he said, adding: ‘I promise you a good salary. People of Serere, those people are not our enemies, we shall chase their commanders and promote you.’
He described the officers enforcing actions against him as implementing ‘bad orders from their commanders.’
The NUP candidate also appealed to young people to amplify his message despite intimidation in previous elections and in the ongoing 2025-26 campaigns.
‘I want to ask you the young people, send this message as far as possible, put this in your own language, and tell the people who have not been able to come because of the intimidation, that this is not the mission of Bobi Wine but for all of us and our generation,’ he said.
Criticizing Uganda’s long-term leadership under President Museveni, Bobi Wine highlighted what he described as decades of neglect.
‘The only development that this country has seen was in the first 18 years of Obote and Amin,’ he noted, adding; ‘For the 40 years Museveni has been in power, the roads are pathetic, look at the police station, look at the uniform, no police officer can take their kids to boarding schools.’
He called for national unity across ethnic and regional lines, stressing that tribal divisions have been used to maintain the status quo.
‘President Museveni has stayed in power by divide and rule… I am happy the people of Uganda have been united by the issues at hand. Let’s speak one voice, whether you are Etesot, Musoga, Munyankole, we all have the same problems,’ he rallied.
Bobi Wine outlined his vision for development, pledging to refurbish schools and hospitals, improve infrastructure, and ensure that taxes directly benefit the new generation.
‘They should unite, use this opportunity and vote for what they believe in. This could be the last elections we are going to have, because Museveni is old, he can’t traverse this country, that is why they are blocking me,’ he said.
He compared Uganda’s approach to national development with that of India and China, urging citizens to prioritize national interest over ethnic divisions.
‘When it comes to matters of development, they build for the sake of their country,’ he observed.
The popstar is widely seen as the main challenger to Museveni’s bid to extend his rule beyond 40 years in next year’s election.