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Exiled Ugandan writer and lawyer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija has thrown his weight behind National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, as the country heads toward the 2026 general elections.
In a strongly worded statement, Kakwenza declared that Bobi Wine is the only opposition figure with the charisma and numbers to challenge President Yoweri Museveni’s long stay in power.
He said his endorsement was made “proprio motu” (by his own motion), stressing that the singer-turned-politician embodies the people’s will.
“Go and win, Mr. President, and we will show those nincompoops that people’s power is stronger than nincompoops in power,” Kakwenza wrote, lacing his statement with defiance.
The award-winning novelist, who fled Uganda after being tortured in detention, warned Bobi Wine against taking a back seat after nomination.
He insisted that the NUP leader must be ready to lead protests if the election is rigged, as many expect.
“No other opposition candidate has the wherewithal to muster and direct this popular energy like Kyagulanyi,” he noted, while cautioning that he would not hesitate to hold him accountable if he failed to rise to the occasion.
Kakwenza described the pact between Bobi Wine and his supporters as binding, one that requires him to act even if placed under house arrest or silenced online.
The endorsement adds to growing international attention on Uganda’s political future.
For many opposition supporters, Kakwenza’s voice carries weight as both a victim of state brutality and a fierce critic of Museveni’s rule.