The National Unity Platform (NUP) President, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, is currently facing criticism from his own supporters, both online and offline, who accuse him of strategic mistakes and poor leadership. Recent events have exposed the cracks within the party and shed light on the consequences of Bobi Wine’s divisive politics
A burial ceremony held in Masaka on May 18, 2024, turned chaotic as Bobi Wine’s bodyguards clashed with NUP supporters. These loyalists accused Bobi Wine of engaging in witch-hunting and undermining leaders from the Buganda kingdom, as well as facilitating the abuse of the kabaka and katikiro of Buganda. Such accusations reveal a growing dissatisfaction within the party’s ranks.
Furthermore, the NUP leadership in Kamuli district wrote a letter to the party’s Secretary-General, expressing their disappointment that Bobi Wine had organized a visit to the district without informing them in advance. The letter, dated May 20, 2024, seeks clarification on the purpose of the visit and questions who is in control of the function. The leaders go on to accuse Bobi Wine of neglecting reconciliation meetings in Kamuli after party delegates were expelled from the party headquarters in Kavule on April 25, 2024. They have even imposed sanctions on certain party members, forbidding them from entering Kamuli District.
These incidents, coupled with similar ones unfolding on social media, locally and in the diaspora, demonstrate that Bobi Wine is now experiencing the consequences of his own actions. His introduction and cultivation of politics involving gangs and radicalism have backfired spectacularly.
Initially, he thought these groups would only hurl insults and abuses at President Museveni and the NRM. However, he failed to anticipate that he might have disagreements with these gangs in the future or that they might turn against him if he lost popularity. Sadly, this has quickly become his reality.
The current trend reflects how Bobi Wine’s supporters have lost faith in him, realizing that he has been feeding them lies to serve his own selfish interests. With the loss of support from Masaka, the Buganda Kingdom, and the Busoga region, the NUP’s time at the helm of the opposition appears to be alarmingly short-lived. The collapse of the party seems inevitable.
Bobi Wine’s politics of excitement, radicalism, and ideological disorientation have made him clash with seasoned politicians of high caliber, as well as cultural leaders who uphold values and possess high moral integrity. Many were astonished when it was confirmed that all the social media users who were abusing the Kabaka, the Buganda Kingdom, and the katikiro were funded by Bobi Wine himself. Sadly, he continues to blame President Museveni for the current backlash and bad reception. As the saying goes, “When you give them a taste of their own medicine, they tell everyone you poisoned them.”
It is high time for Bobi Wine to engage in soul searching and realize that he has chosen a wrong and unsustainable political path. By basing his party in the central region without a firm ideological foundation, he has failed to sustain his tribalism card and has brought the party to the brink of collapse. The NUP’s implosion is imminent, and it is clear that things have fallen apart.
It is crucial for Ugandan politicians to reflect on these events and reevaluate their strategies. The pursuit of genuine and inclusive leadership should prevail over divisive and self-serving agendas. Only then can Uganda hope to achieve the political progress it deserves.
