Bobi Wine and NUP Have Had Much Greater Impact as First Timers Than Museveni and UPM Did in 1980 – Kalyegira

Veteran Journalist, Timothy Kalyegira, has weighed in on Kyadondo East Legislator Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine’s) personal and party chances ahead of the 2021 Presidential and General Elections.

Known for mostly controversy, Mr. Kalyegira applauded the National Unity Platform (NUP) Presidential Flagbearer’s impact on the upcoming election in as much as he is greatly disadvantaged, being his first time against the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM’s) President Museveni.

To their credit, Bobi Wine and the NUP have had a greater impact on the national discussion and consciousness as a first-time presidential candidate and party than Yoweri Museveni did in 1980 as a presidential candidate with his UPM party.

Kalyegira

President Museveni’s first attempt at the presidency was in 1980 when he took part in the general election then with his party, the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM).

UPM was founded by Mr. Museveni and participated in the December 1980 general elections, which were won by former President Milton Obote’s Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).

The election results were disputed, leading Museveni to form the National Resistance Movement and its military wing, the National Resistance Army (NRA), with which he waged a guerrilla rebellion against Obote’s government.

In the 1980 General Election, the country’s politics dictated that the political party with the most seats in Parliament would eventually form government and Obote’s UPC polled the most.

With some big names now like Deputy Prime Minister Ali Kirunda Kivenjinja, Former Defence Minister Dr. Chrispus Kiyonga and President Museveni contesting on UPM tickets then, only Kiyonga managed to secure a slot for UPM in the Parliament.

President Museveni, who had competed for MP Mbarara North lost to current Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kuteesa, who was a member of the Democratic Party (DP) then.

“Museveni was an intelligence officer in the President’s Office in 1970, ten years before founding the UPM, was leader of the FRONASA fighting group, 1971-1979, Minister of State for Defence, 1979, and Vice-Chairman of the Military Commission, 1979-1980.” Kalyegira further said, implying that not even such a rich CV could give him a chance.