Dokolo, Uganda | Uganda’s opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, encountered a hostile political climate in Dokolo District on Wednesday, December 3rd, after his campaign rally at Angwecibange Primary School drew fewer than 150 people.
The rally, part of his tour of the Lango Subregion, attracted mainly members of his own campaign entourage, with only a handful of local residents attending.
Several of those who turned up said they came out of curiosity to see the musician challenging President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for close to four decades.
Addressing supporters, Kyagulanyi accused the district’s security leadership of discouraging residents from attending the event.
He singled out the Dokolo Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Barbra Akech, alleging that she and the security teams had “demobilised the community”.
He also contrasted the present electoral environment with past regimes, saying previous governments did not deploy security personnel to follow presidential candidates during campaigns.
Kyagulanyi used the event to promise revitalised public services, including improvements to schools, health centres and road infrastructure.
But his comments about violence during the Obote era, where he said people wearing UPC party T-shirts were targeted, left some listeners unsettled.
He later clarified that such acts had been committed by National Resistance Army (NRA) rebels, not by the UPC party.
RDC Barbra Akech dismissed the accusations, telling this publication that Kyagulanyi’s team often provokes security officers during rallies, creating fear among residents who worry such confrontations could escalate.
She attributed the poor turnout to NUP’s lack of local structures capable of mobilising supporters and said she had personally intervened to secure the primary school for the rally after the School Management Committee initially declined permission.
Akech questioned why the candidate was “spoiling her name” despite her assistance, and argued that Kyagulanyi continued to criticise President Museveni while benefiting from the peace and security the government has maintained, citing his overnight stay in Dokolo.
She added that Dokolo Town is small and that authorities had been concerned about disruptions, saying the crowds that typically accompany Kyagulanyi could interrupt business and traffic flow.
Akech insisted that residents in the district appreciate the stability brought by President Museveni and the unity championed by the late Dokolo Woman MP, Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal.
She predicted a “massive victory” for Museveni and NRM flagbearers in the January 2026 polls.
Residents appeared largely defensive of the RDC, whom many regard as an effective administrator with a strong record in tackling corruption, monitoring government programmes like PDM, and maintaining security.
Some feared a recurrence of scenes from previous NUP rallies where clashes with security forces led to tear gas deployments.
The Dokolo incident came shortly after Kyagulanyi’s rally in Amolatar District, which lasted about 20 minutes and attracted minimal local support.
According to Amolatar RDC Okello Francis Odoki Rwotlonyo, many of those present had been brought in from other areas, and several wore NRM yellow while praising President Museveni.
Kyagulanyi is continuing his campaign across northern Uganda ahead of the 2026 elections, though Wednesday’s events highlighted the challenges he faces in consolidating support in parts of the Lango Subregion.
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