In this Christmas season, I would like to extend a Merry Christmas to both supporters of Kyagulanyi and President Museveni. However, I must explain why Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, is not a viable alternative to Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Many, especially Kyagulanyi’s supporters, may question why. The truth is that while Kyagulanyi has garnered support from some urban youth and leveraged his music background for publicity, he has not yet proven himself as a credible replacement for Museveni in terms of governance, ideology, and political organization.
This argument is echoed by Assistant Professor of Political Science at Marist University, Luke Melchiorre, in his recent 2025 publication titled “Politics Unusual…” He asserts that Kyagulanyi lacks a coherent left-wing agenda, such as radical wealth redistribution, economic reform, socialist policies, or restructuring state-capital relations. In essence, Melchiorre suggests that Kyagulanyi lacks a comprehensive plan to fundamentally change Uganda’s political economy (Melchiorre, 2025). This is evident in Kyagulanyi’s campaign rhetoric, which primarily revolves around criticizing Museveni rather than offering substantive policy proposals.
Furthermore, Kyagulanyi’s inadequacy as an alternative to Museveni is also highlighted by Museveni supporters in terms of character, morals, and conduct, particularly when compared to Kyagulanyi’s followers. A supporter of Kyagulanyi online remarked that Museveni and his supporters demonstrate more maturity than Kyagulanyi’s camp, citing instances of verbal abuse and vulgarity from some of the Kyagulanyi supporters. The online commenter stated, “their vulgarity alone made me leave their NUP party.” This issue of vulgarity among Kyagulanyi supporters will be explored further in a separate article.
Interestingly, during a discussion on Uganda’s current political landscape with an independent thinker, it was noted that “Ugandans have failed to fully utilize Museveni, who is capable of achieving their goals on the African continent.” Finally, I argue that if Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu had seriously engaged with the political strategies of past strong opposition leaders like Dr. Kizza Besigye Kifeefe, he would acknowledge that he is not a true alternative to Museveni, but rather an imitator shaped by Museveni’s political methods and theories.
Ayub Mukisa, PhD
Executive Director, Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition (KACC)
Email: ayubmukisa@gmail.com
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