Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, has unexpectedly called for a press conference today, January 15, 2024. His intentions appear to be aimed at disrupting the ongoing Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit and diminishing the impact of a joint press conference scheduled for Tuesday, January 16, 2024, by other opposition political parties.
Opposition parties, including NUP, UPC, DP, FDC Katonga faction, and ANT, had planned to hold a joint press conference to address several issues, including the ongoing NAM summit that commenced today, January 15, 2024. However, upon his return from the United States on January 13, 2024, Kyagulanyi chose to hold his own press conference abruptly, seemingly with the intention of overshadowing the upcoming joint conference.
According to an insider within NUP, Kyagulanyi expressed anger towards party leaders who collaborated with other opposition political parties, particularly the FDC, to organize a joint press conference. He claimed that these parties posed a threat to his fundraising efforts and held ill intentions towards him.
Reports suggest that Kyagulanyi is particularly upset with the FDC Katonga faction’s alleged plan to field Dr. Kizza Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, as their presidential candidate in the 2026 general elections. Kyagulanyi perceives her candidacy as a potential risk to his funding, especially from the LGBTQ community.
Additionally, Kyagulanyi has voiced concerns about the international community’s continued trust in Uganda and the ruling NRM government. He believes that Uganda hosting major international summits such as NAM, G77, CSPOC, and IGAD grants legitimacy to what he refers to as a “dictator’s regime.”
As a consequence, Kyagulanyi seeks to discredit Uganda’s efforts in hosting the NAM summit, which will be the primary focus of today’s press conference. The NUP party has already launched a social media campaign aimed at portraying a negative image of Uganda.
Dependable sources close to Kyagulanyi claim that he received instructions from his party’s funders, who are not affiliated with NAM, to disrupt the summit due to their displeasure with its occurrence.
Political analysts argue that Kyagulanyi’s ongoing efforts to tarnish Uganda’s international reputation under the pretense of discrediting the current regime only serve to expose him as a non-patriotic citizen without the best interests of his country at heart.
