The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu—popularly known as Bobi Wine—has urged voters in Mbarara District not to be intimidated as they prepare for the 15 January elections.
Kyagulanyi spent Thursday campaigning across the district, accompanied by his wife, Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi, who addressed residents in their local language and called on them to support her husband and the NUP “Umbrella” party.
Addressing supporters, Bobi Wine condemned what he described as intimidation and misinformation being used to scare voters away from supporting NUP.
“The most important thing in the new Uganda is to ensure that we are all equal,” he said.
“I have come here to comfort you—nobody should intimidate you. Many people will tell you not to vote for Bobi Wine because he is a Muganda, or that if you vote for him your property will be taken. That is a lie,” he added.
He further reassured supporters, saying, “Vote for the Umbrella. No one should tell you that voting red will bring you trouble. That is a lie.”
The presidential candidate also encouraged supporters to actively mobilize for the party, urging each attendee to make at least 50 phone calls to friends and relatives to secure votes.
This marked Bobi Wine’s second visit to Mbarara, following an earlier rally that was disrupted, leading to the arrest of several of his supporters—many of whom, according to NUP, remain in custody.
NUP leaders in the area cited poor road infrastructure and other local challenges as evidence of long-standing misgovernance, underscoring the need for political change.
Ankole has emerged as a challenging region for NUP, with several party flag bearers defecting to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) just weeks before the general elections. This development has intensified the need for voter mobilization by the opposition in the region.
Bobi Wine’s visit underscored his pledge to protect voters’ rights, promote equal treatment, and confront intimidation in the run-up to the elections.
