Uganda: Exclusive – Kakwenza, Zedriga Lobbying to Oust Bobi in 2031
Exiled Ugandan novelist and lawyer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija has quietly joined forces with National Unity Platform (NUP) vice president Dr Linah Zedriga Walu in what the Nile Post understands is a long-term strategy to challenge Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, ahead of Uganda’s 2031 presidential elections.
Kakwenza, a multi-award-winning writer and outspoken critic of President Museveni, has lived in exile since his arrest and torture in Uganda.
His activism abroad has won him recognition across Europe, where he is now rallying exiled Ugandans under a loose coalition vowing to return and dislodge Museveni from power.
Zedriga, a former magistrate and long-time activist, is one of NUP’s most senior figures–serving as deputy president for Northern Uganda.
Yet, while officially still within NUP, she has increasingly carved space as a power broker with independent voices in the diaspora.
Her Berlin birthday reception, organised by Kakwenza and wealthy German filmmaker Konrad Hirsch, symbolised not just personal celebration but also a growing alliance between exiled networks and disaffected insiders.
Yesterday’s gathering of 64th birthday’s attracted Ugandan exiles, European journalists, and cultural influencers.
This news website understands Hirsch, who has released Kakwenza’s books and is developing film adaptations linked to Hollywood producers, is using his connections to tie strings backing Kakwenza’s political ambitions.
The Berlin reception was more than a birthday party. It signaled a growing alignment between Kakwenza and Zedriga on Uganda’s political future.
According to people close to them, both are frustrated with what they view as NUP’s over-reliance on Bobi Wine’s personal charisma and populist appeal.
Despite its rise as Uganda’s leading opposition party, NUP has struggled to institutionalise itself beyond Kyagulanyi’s cult of personality.
“Kakwenza and Zedriga believe Uganda’s opposition must think beyond the rally stage and the music microphone,” said one source who attended the Berlin event.
“They want to build structures, policies, and international networks that Bobi Wine has either neglected or dismissed.”
Central to their emerging strategy is foreign policy. The pair are said to be drafting a manifesto that repositions Uganda’s global partnerships. They argue that under Museveni, Uganda has pursued lopsided and transactional diplomacy serving regime survival rather than national interest.
By proposing a coherent foreign policy platform, they hope to attract support from Western governments, regional allies, and global investors wary of Uganda’s authoritarian drift.
Their plan, insiders suggest, is ambitious: forge links with governments across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, leveraging both diplomatic ties and trade opportunities.
“Uganda has interests abroad, and foreign countries have interests in Uganda. That’s where politics meets strategy,” one associate of Kakwenza remarked. “By 2031, they want to be the opposition bloc with real international backing.”
Their collaboration comes at a time when Bobi Wine’s leadership is under sharper scrutiny than ever. Many former NUP stalwarts–among them Mathias Mpuuga, once the party’s Leader of Opposition and powerful Vice-President for Buganda–have broken ranks, accusing the movement of sidelining internal democracy in favor of Kyagulanyi’s inner circle.
The ongoing 2026 political push and shove has further exposed the rift inside NUP with dissenters accusing the party of granting leadership and election flags to cronies at the expense of merit, eroding its moral high ground.
Critics increasingly describe NUP as a “cult of personality” around Bobi Wine, where dissent is equated with betrayal and ideology is overshadowed by the singer-turned-politician’s charisma.
The Berlin alignment between Kakwenza and Zedriga reflects that sentiment, framing themselves as policy-driven alternatives who want to move beyond street rallies and music-stage populism.
“They believe Uganda’s opposition must think beyond the rally stage and the microphone,” said one source at the Berlin event.
“They are talking structures, policies, and international networks–things Bobi Wine has either neglected or dismissed.”
The pair’s emerging platform focuses heavily on foreign policy, arguing Uganda must move past Museveni’s transactional diplomacy.
They are reportedly drafting a manifesto aimed at positioning Uganda as a credible partner globally, hoping this policy-first approach will appeal to Western governments, rights organizations, and regional allies wary of Kampala’s authoritarian drift.
For now, 2026 is seen as a foregone conclusion, with Museveni poised for re-election in what he is fully in charge of organising and by default, making the final call.
Opposition hopes may instead lie in 2031, when succession battles inside the ruling NRM could open space for genuine contestation.
In preparation, Zedriga has been traveling quietly across Europe and North America, cultivating relationships with diaspora communities and rights organizations.
Kakwenza, meanwhile, has focused on Africa, eastern Europe, and Asia, making discreet visits to build solidarity with activists and policy thinkers.
The two have also kept ties in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Kakwenza’s associate Sam Mugumya–recently arrested again–has long been active in opposition networks.
The secrecy surrounding their activities has fueled speculation. Some see their moves as a bold attempt to wrest opposition leadership from Kyagulanyi, who still commands mass support inside Uganda.
Others frame it as an inevitable shift from street populism to policy-driven opposition politics that could finally challenge NRM dominance.
The key question is whether NUP under his leadership can evolve into a durable institution–or whether, as critics allege, it risks being no more than a vehicle for one man’s political destiny.
The Kakwenza-Zedriga partnership may be the first serious attempt to offer an alternative vision.
By Nile Post.
