Kasiano Wadri Reveals Bobi Wine Initially Supported Rival Candidate in 2018 Arua By-Election

In a fresh revelation that may stir political debate, former Arua Municipality MP Hon. Kasiano Wadri has clarified that National Unity Platform (NUP) leader, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, did not originally travel to Arua to support his 2018 by-election bid, contrary to widely held public belief.

While appearing on the PoliChat podcast hosted by Joel Gadafi, Hon. Wadri disclosed that Bobi Wine initially aligned himself with Robert Ejiku, a former National Resistance Movement (NRM) aspirant who lost the party primaries to Nusura Tiperu, the official NRM flag bearer at the time. According to Wadri, Kyagulanyi was financially facilitated to the tune of Shs 6 million for transport to back Ejiku's campaign—a deal reportedly arranged through prominent lawyer Caleb Alaka.

“I want to say this without any fear of contradiction. Hon. Kyagulanyi did not originally come to support me. He had come for Robert Ejiku, and he was facilitated for it. But when he saw the ground and realised where the people’s support was, he quickly changed his mind and joined me. I welcomed him,” Wadri revealed during the podcast.

Wadri explained that upon arriving in Arua, some members of Bobi Wine’s team assessed the political landscape and quickly recognized that Wadri commanded stronger grassroots support among the electorate.

 It was this realization, Wadri claims, that led Kyagulanyi to shift allegiance and offer his backing to him instead.
The 2018 Arua Municipality by-election was one of the most heated in recent Ugandan political history, marred by violence and resulting in the high-profile arrest of Kyagulanyi and other opposition figures. 

Bobi Wine has often referenced his involvement in Arua as a pivotal moment in his political journey, highlighting it as a symbol of his commitment to opposition unity and people's power.
However, Wadri's latest comments appear to challenge that narrative, suggesting that Bobi Wine's support was initially driven by different interests before aligning with the dominant grassroots sentiment on the ground.
The revelation has already sparked conversation on social media, with political commentators and supporters debating its implications on the historical account of the Arua by-election and Kyagulanyi's role in it.
As of now, neither Bobi Wine nor Robert Ejiku has publicly responded to Wadri’s claims.
Kasiano Wadri won the tightly contested by-election following the assassination of former MP Ibrahim Abiriga. His victory was seen as a blow to the ruling NRM party, with the opposition rallying behind him despite being an independent candidate. Bobi Wine’s presence and subsequent arrest during the campaign attracted national and international attention.