This is a Revolution!” — Bobi Wine’s Campaign Trail in Busoga: Jinja, Buyende and Kamuli Take the Stage

UgandaToday: “This is a Revolution!” — Bobi Wine’s Campaign Trail in Busoga: Jinja, Buyende and Kamuli Take the Stage

By  UgandaToday Political Desk

Jinja, Kamuli & Buyende, Busoga Region — The air in Busoga has been electric in recent days. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu — popularly known as Bobi Wine, National Unity Platform (NUP) leader and Presidential hopeful — has returned to Busoga, particularly Buyende and Kamuli districts, with renewed vigour and a message of change. His visits, speeches and mobilization efforts have drawn enthusiastic crowds, but also friction with law enforcement.

Buyende: Welcoming Signs and Unfinished Business

Bobi Wine’s campaign in Buyende has tapped deep into sentiments of neglect and the desire for development. Residents of Buyende, a mostly rural district with challenging infrastructure and limited access to health services, spoke of feeling left behind.

One key concern: roads. For many communities along the Kamuli–Bukungu road corridor, travel remains difficult especially in rainy seasons. Bobi Wine’s pledges to revive infrastructure resonated strongly. He promised improved roads, better health care access, and reviving cooperative economic activity.

In Buyende, there was a palpable energy as supporters clad in NUP colours waved, cheered, and lined up early along the roads as his convoy passed. Many expressed that Busoga’s once-prominent industrial past seems far from their reality today.

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Kamuli: Cheers, Tensions, and a Call for Change

In Kamuli, Bobi Wine’s arrival was met with both adulation and confrontation.

• Crowds and Mobilisation: Large numbers of supporters gathered at various stops. Many told UgandaToday they had faced intimidation or obstruction in earlier political rallies, making this campaign feel especially meaningful. Bobi Wine declared, “This is a revolution,” a phrase that reverberated across Kamuli’s market squares and trading centres. Margherita News+2NTV Uganda+2

• Police Blockades and Disruption: The campaign has not been smooth. Police mounted significant roadblocks on routes into Kamuli town — including from Isimba Bridge, Jinja-Kamuli road and other major roads. Checkpoints were set up, commuter taxis and private vehicles searched, and red beret‑wearing supporters scrutinised. A planned meeting at Kananage Primary School in Northern Division was blocked. The Standard News (Uganda)+2The Standard News (Uganda)+2

• Arrests and Tear Gas: During a mobilization in Kamuli, around ten people were arrested, accused of organizing an illegal demonstration and incitement. Tear gas was deployed, and live bullets reportedly fired into the air to disperse crowds. Bobi Wine criticized the police for denying his supporters their right to assembly. The Standard News (Uganda)+2NTV Uganda+2

• Endorsement & New Party Structures: Despite the tension, the mood among NUP supporters remained upbeat. A new party office was opened in Budhumbula Trading Centre within Kamuli Municipality, viewed by many as a marker of NUP’s commitment to building grassroots presence ahead of the 2026 elections. Supporters led by the district party leadership pledged full backing to Bobi Wine’s presidential bid. Daily Express

Voices on the Ground

• “We are tired of promises,” said one elderly man in Kamuli, “but he [Bobi Wine] speaks as though he knows what it means to travel these roads, to wait for a clinic that never acts.”

• A young woman in Buyende echoed concern about jobs: “Young people here see no industries, no factories. Many have left for cities. Bobi Wine says he will bring back industries. We believe him.”

• Police, for their part, have defended their actions as necessary for public order — citing previous incidents of traffic disruptions, non-compliance with guidelines for public gatherings, and intelligence warnings. The Standard News (Uganda)+2NTV Uganda+2

Challenges & Stakes Ahead

Bobi Wine’s campaign in Busoga is taking place in a region with shifting political currents. In the 2021 presidential election, Busoga surprised many by delivering more votes for Bobi Wine than expected, with several districts choosing him over the long‑standing dominance of the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Monitor+1

Yet that victory was tempered by the realization that many of the structural problems — lack of infrastructure, weak health services, limited economic opportunities — remain unaddressed. As Bobi Wine moves through Buyende and Kamuli, his ability to articulate concrete policy, to allay fears of repression, and ensure that supporters can safely gather will be critical.

What Next?

If the campaign trail in Buyende and Kamuli is any indication:

• NUP intends to deepen its organisational roots in Busoga, with new offices and more visible local leadership.

• The themes of infrastructure, equity, and change resonate strongly.

• Clashes with security forces may continue, especially where gatherings are large or perceived as challenging the status quo.

For many in Busoga, this campaign is not just about choosing a candidate; it is about making their voices heard at a level they believe has long ignored them.

UgandaToday will continue to follow Bobi Wine’s campaign through Busoga and beyond, bringing detailed reports from the ground.