Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine has taken his presidential campaign to grassroots communities, including the Kampala slum where he grew up, as the country heads into general elections on Thursday.
Ugandans go to the polls on January 15 to elect a president and members of parliament, in a vote widely seen as a test of the country’s long-standing political order.
Wine is challenging incumbent President Yoweri Museveni for a second time. In the 2021 election, the musician-turned-politician secured about 35 percent of the vote against Museveni’s 58 percent, cementing his status as the most formidable opposition challenger.
The 43-year-old draws strong support from working-class and urban voters, but his campaign has repeatedly faced crackdowns, with security forces dispersing rallies using tear gas and force.
Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, is seeking another term after constitutional changes removed age and term limits. Wine, the most prominent of seven opposition candidates, has urged his supporters to remain resolute and turn out in large numbers, calling for what he described as “protest votes” against the ruling party on election day.
