Uganda: Bobi Wine launches new political party

Speaking at a press conference on 22 July, Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said NUP would be the political wing of the People Power Movement (PPM) after countless failed attempts to register the latter as a political party.

"NUP is a duly registered organisation with the Electoral Commission," he said. "We have no plans of establishing a military wing. Our military wing is the People Power Movement, and our weapons are our words and our ideas, not arms of destruction and violence."

The PPM was formed three years ago as a resistance pressure group to unite young Ugandans on issues such as corruption and human rights. Since then, several legislators, including members of the ruling National Resistance Movement and the official opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), have allied with it.

Bobi Wine described the new development as "yet another important step in our liberation struggle". He hopes that the party will unite Uganda's fragmented opposition to displace from power President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, at next year's elections.

"We believe in having a platform that will bring in all oppressed Ugandans," he said.m "We have had engagements with other comrades to ensure that we have a People Power alliance. We shall continue with that and the election management committee will explain the details that we put in place."

Bobi Wine is still facing treason charges after he was arrested with 30 other opposition politicians in August 2019 for allegedly stoning Museveni's convoy following a campaign rally. He accused security forces of torturing and beating him while in custody, which the authorities have denied.

In March, he released 'Corona Virus Alert', a song that received global media attention and was shared widely on social media.

The firebrand first came to political prominence in 2017 when he was elected as an independent MP for the Kyadondo East constituency. He is viewed as the symbol of the struggle for democracy in Uganda. In 2018, he was named among the top 100 most influential young Africans by the Africa Youth Awards. The following year, he appeared on Time's 100 Next list.

Other Ugandan musicians who have officially expressed interest in the coming elections include the former chairperson of the Uganda Music Association, Sophie Gombya, and Jose Chameleone, who is running for mayor in the capital Kampala.