In a show of unwavering solidarity, prominent Ugandan lawyer and National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Counsel George Musisi has joined forces with opposition chief Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine, as the pair kicked off a high-energy campaign launch in Mityana District today.
The event, marked by chants calling for political change, signaled the beginning of NUP’s final push to unseat President Yoweri Museveni after nearly four decades in power.
Mityana, a Buganda stronghold where Bobi Wine won about 65% of the vote in 2021, transformed into a sea of red-bereted supporters waving NUP flags under a heavy security presence. Eyewitnesses described an electric atmosphere as crowds braved roadblocks and police patrols that NUP leaders denounced as intimidation tactics.
“Mityana has always been peaceful,” said Francis Zaake, the outspoken MP for Mityana Municipality. “This overkill turns our district into a barracks just because our president wants to meet his people.”
Musisi: From Courtroom Warrior to Campaign Trail Stalwart
At the heart of the rally’s momentum was Counsel George Musisi, a sharp-tongued legal mind known for his fearless defense of opposition figures. With a strong public following and a reputation as a social justice advocate, Musisi’s record speaks volumes—most recently, his May 2025 condemnation of “appalling” prison conditions in Masaka, where Bobi Wine’s bodyguard Eddie Mutwe alleged torture, made national headlines.
Today, however, Musisi wasn’t in court—he was on the campaign trail. Flanked by fellow NUP leaders, the Kira Municipality parliamentary hopeful rallied thousands of youth and farmers, taking aim at corruption, land grabbing, and unemployment.
“We’re not here for photo ops,” Musisi declared. “We’re here to build a new Uganda, where justice isn’t a privilege for the powerful.”
Photos circulating online showed him in animated conversation with Bobi Wine, the two exchanging fist bumps amid vibrant red regalia—a powerful symbol of unity and resolve.
Musisi’s growing visibility underscores NUP’s new strategy: combining legal expertise with grassroots mobilization. Just last week, on October 2, he appeared on national television discussing the party’s organizational hurdles in Busoga and condemning what he described as state blockades on youth nominations.
His quick shift to Mityana highlights NUP’s deepening bench—bringing in lawyers, thinkers, and activists to challenge the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) both intellectually and politically.
Buganda Offensive: Reclaiming the Heartland
Bobi Wine’s arrival in Mityana marked a symbolic homecoming. Having submitted his presidential nomination papers on September 24, the NUP leader framed this tour as “a continuation of our unfinished mission.”
The week-long Buganda tour will include rallies in Mpigi, Mubende, Luwero, and Mukono, focusing on education reform, cultural empowerment, and tackling economic inequality.
NUP’s message is resonating across regions. In Kasese, Wine pledged justice for massacre survivors; in Teso, he promised aid for conflict-hit farmers; and in Luwero, he called for equitable development. Today’s Mityana rally amplified those promises, with Musisi and other NUP voices emphasizing Buganda’s vast youth population—over 70% under the age of 30—as the key to political change.
Still, challenges loom large. Political analyst Frederick Golooba-Mutebi notes that despite NUP’s momentum, internal rifts—such as the 2024 splinter group led by Mathias Mpuuga—and limited funding remain critical weaknesses. Museveni’s control over state institutions, from the military to the Electoral Commission, also continues to tilt the playing field.
Security crackdowns on NUP activities, including office raids and arrests like that of Alex Waiswa, have become routine. Wine himself—whose political struggles were chronicled in the Peabody-winning documentary Bobi Wine: The People’s President—has faced detention and assault in past campaigns.
A Protest Vote in Motion
As dusk settled over Mityana’s dusty fields, the crowd’s energy refused to fade—a defiant rhythm against the odds.
Supporters flooded social media with photos and praise for Musisi’s fiery speech, celebrating his message of justice and renewal.
With 35% of the national vote in 2021 and the largest opposition bloc in Parliament, Bobi Wine’s prospects depend heavily on turnout from strongholds like Buganda.
For George Musisi, this is more than politics—it’s a personal crusade. Having fought in courtrooms against state abuses, his partnership with Wine is a declaration that justice must reach beyond legal walls.
Whether this Mityana spark becomes a nationwide blaze remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: the call for a new Uganda is growing louder, and voices like Musisi’s are leading it.
