Bobi Wine Slams NRM Over Electoral Fraud

National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has condemned the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) over what he called widespread electoral fraud and violence during its recent party primaries.

In a statement, Kyagulanyi accused the NRM of being “consumed by the very impunity it nurtured,” adding that many of its leaders now crying foul had long ignored similar complaints raised by the opposition.

“We saw the violence and intimidation. Children lined up to vote. Voter bribery was everywhere. Election officials were bribed to declare losers as winners,” he said.

Kyagulanyi pointed out that those now demanding electoral reforms had previously backed repressive legislation such as the UPDF Amendment Bill, which he claims entrenched military involvement in politics.

“When we called for an audit of the 2021 elections, they attacked us. They defended rigging in places like Oyam, Omoro, Kisoro, Soroti, Serere, and Kawempe. They celebrated when our victory was stolen in Kayunga and cheered as our campaign events were blocked while NRM moved freely,” he added.

The NUP leader said the same system the NRM once defended is now turning against them.

“They raised the serpent that is now biting them,” he said, urging Ugandans across political, regional, and religious lines to demand electoral justice. “It’s time to fight for electoral integrity. We can do it,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Yoweri Museveni over the weekend also addressed irregularities in the NRM primaries held on July 17, warning of stern action against those who manipulated results, bribed voters, or incited violence.

In a post-election message to party members, Museveni decried the actions of what he termed “unpatriotic actors” who tampered with the party’s democratic process.

He highlighted multiple concerns, including manipulation of results during the lining-up voting process, bloated registers despite a verification exercise conducted in May, widespread voter bribery, and the use of violence, some of which led to injuries and fatalities.

The president ordered the prosecution of all individuals implicated in vote tampering, warning that the public nature of the lining-up method makes fraud easily detectable.

“It is not only the registrar that knows the results village by village. If you altered the results, we are coming for you,” Museveni said.

He also pledged to pursue those behind violent incidents, urging investigations into the conduct of both security personnel and politically connected hooligans. Museveni called for renewed scrutiny of voter registers to prevent future irregularities.

While condemning the malpractice, Museveni reminded party members of the NRM’s core values and urged them to uphold transparency and discipline in the lead-up to the 2026 general elections.