National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, delivered a fiery message of unity and reconciliation at a packed campaign rally at the defunct Kitgum District Farm Institute (DFI) playground on Thursday.
Addressing thousands of supporters in the heart of the Acholi sub-region, Kyagulanyi accused President Yoweri Museveni of deliberately sowing tribal divisions to maintain power, urging Ugandans to reject the “divide-and-rule” tactics that have fractured national brotherhood for decades.
“For too long, we have allowed bad leadership to turn brothers against brothers,” Kyagulanyi declared. “The people of Acholi must not see those from Central or Western Uganda as enemies. Our enemy is disunity, and Museveni knows it.” He warned that tribal suspicion, fueled by decades of political manipulation, has repeatedly undermined efforts to bring democratic change.
“Every election, we fail because we fight each other instead of the system,” he said. Bobi Wine’s journey to Kitgum was not without drama. After a brief rally in Padibe Town Council, Lamwo District, he had planned stops in Palabek Kal before heading to Kitgum. Citing time constraints, he made a sudden U-turn, catching security operatives off guard.
Upon entering Kitgum Municipality, police attempted to block his convoy at the main roundabout, barring access to the central business district via Market Street. Undeterred, Kyagulanyi’s team navigated past the cordon, emerging onto Market Street, Kitgum Road, then Uhuru Drive before arriving at the DFI grounds — a one-kilometre journey that took nearly an hour.
Supporters cheered while chanting, “People Power our Power,” as Kyagulanyi mocked the failed blockade: “They can block roads, but they cannot block the will of the people.” In a surprising gesture toward law enforcement, he pledged to raise police salaries to one million shillings per month if elected in 2026. “The police are the most underpaid government workers,” he said.
“When you pay people peanuts, you get rudeness, corruption, and brutality. I will change that.” The promise drew applause from the crowd. Targeting President Museveni’s recent patronage of musicians to promote the ruling party’s “Tubonganawe” (Let’s Be United) slogan, Kyagulanyi criticized government spending priorities. “Instead of paying musicians to sing ‘Tubonganawe’ while teachers are striking over unpaid salaries, divert that money to the classroom,” he thundered. “Pay the striking teachers first. Unity starts with justice, not jingles.”
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