Unbelievable!! Why Most Opposition Lords Think Bobi Wine Is The Biggest Problem In Uganda More than Museveni

A heated political debate on Kabaka’s CBS Radio (88.8 FM) on Saturday turned into a fierce indictment of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, as two opposition party presidents openly ganged up to accuse him of failing in his role as the de facto leader of Uganda’s opposition against President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Conservative Party (CP) President Ken Lukyamuzi and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) President Saddam Gayira used the popular Luganda-language platform to lay the blame for what they described as weak, fragmented, and ineffective opposition squarely at Kyagulanyi’s feet. In their view, the leader of the country’s largest opposition party has not lived up to the heavy responsibilities that come with commanding the biggest political following outside the ruling NRM.

The debate was centered on the increasingly alarming brutality by security forces directed at opposition supporters—particularly those who turn up in large numbers to attend opposition rallies. Panelists were tasked with proposing practical ideas on what Bobi Wine, as leader of the largest opposition formation, should be doing differently to help opposition supporters respond more effectively to state violence and repression.

Representing the Democratic Party (DP), Vincent Matovu from Katwe launched one of the most controversial contributions of the day. Matovu openly blamed Kyagulanyi and went as far as claiming that the beatings and harassment of innocent civilians at NUP rallies had been planned long in advance. According to him, the alleged strategy was designed to generate sympathy for the Kavule-based presidential candidate and consolidate his grip on the number two position on the ballot paper.

Ken Lukyamuzi was even more scathing. He lamented what he described as Kyagulanyi’s persistent failure to learn from his predecessors—particularly the late Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere and four-time presidential challenger Dr. Kizza Besigye. Lukyamuzi argued that leading the biggest opposition party comes with heavy, duty-bearing responsibilities, not merely the pursuit of Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) funding.

He demanded that Kyagulanyi abandon what he termed an inward-looking leadership style and instead rise to the challenge of providing broad-based leadership for the entire opposition. According to Lukyamuzi, Bobi Wine’s focus appears limited to strengthening NUP alone, at the expense of building a united front capable of confronting Gen. Museveni’s long-entrenched rule.

Lukyamuzi also echoed the talking points of his party’s presidential candidate, Joseph Elton Mabirizi, who previously claimed during an NTV presidential debate that he had driven to Magere on three separate occasions in a bid to discuss opposition unity. Mabirizi alleged that each attempt was met with silence, disregard, or outright dismissal by Kyagulanyi.

Building on that claim, Lukyamuzi proposed that Kyagulanyi should deliberately and publicly reach out to all fellow opposition presidential candidates and bring them together under one umbrella. He suggested that such unity could begin with joint activities, including a grand joint press conference in Kampala. From there, Lukyamuzi argued, some candidates might even consider withdrawing from the race altogether and rallying behind Kyagulanyi as the single opposition figure capable of taking on Gen. Museveni head-on.

According to Lukyamuzi, there are certain political tasks that only Kyagulanyi can realistically execute at this stage—chief among them enforcing opposition unity—precisely because he leads the largest opposition party and commands the widest popular support.

PPP President Saddam Gayira largely agreed with Lukyamuzi’s arguments and added his own controversial perspective. Gayira claimed that both Kyagulanyi and Museveni share equal responsibility for the escalating brutality and campaign-related violence, reasoning that it is these two politicians who attract the largest crowds and therefore trigger the heaviest security responses.

Gayira warned that history and posterity would judge Kyagulanyi harshly if he fails to “wake up in good time” and provide more decisive leadership, especially at what he described as a critical turning point in Uganda’s political journey.

Both Lukyamuzi and Gayira emphasized that Kyagulanyi’s role as an opposition leader will be far more crucial after the 15th of January than during the campaign period itself. They argued that once the Electoral Commission, led by Justice Simon Byabakama, controversially declares Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the winner—as they expect—the country will enter a far more dangerous and uncertain phase.

According to the two opposition leaders, millions of disgruntled Ugandans will then be looking to Bobi Wine for guidance: where to go, how to respond, and what must be done next. Without clear direction and united leadership from Kavule, they warned, the opposition risks descending into confusion, fragmentation, and political paralysis at the very moment when effective leadership will matter most.