The Leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has extended his congratulations to Donald Trump, the newly elected President of the United States.
In his congratulatory post on X (formerly Twitter), Kyagulanyi also praised the US for its democratic process in electing leaders.
“We congratulate President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory and wish him a successful term,” Kyagulanyi stated.
He added, “We join the world in congratulating the people of the United States of America for successfully going through a democratic process in which they elected leaders at various levels.”
Reflecting on Trump’s first term of his presidency (2017-2021), during which several high-ranking Ugandan officials faced US sanctions for corruption and human rights abuses, Kyagulanyi expressed hope that Trump would maintain this approach.
“The USA remains a vital partner to Uganda in many areas. During President Trump’s first term, sanctions were imposed on numerous regime officials involved in corruption and human rights violations in Uganda. The Trump Administration also condemned the rigging of the 2021 election, and denied Gen. Museveni the legitimacy he so much wanted before the international community. These accountability measures have continued and even expanded under President Joe Biden’s administration. For this we are very grateful. We shall be looking forward to continued partnership as we labor to build a free, democratic and just society,” Kyagulanyi remarked.
Kyagulanyi further commended outgoing US President Joe Biden’s administration for implementing accountability measures against Ugandan officials and expressed hope for ongoing collaboration with the new administration.
“For this we are very grateful. We shall be looking forward to continued partnership as we labor to build a free, democratic and just society,” he said.
It should be remembered that during Trump’s first term, several Ugandan officials, including former military intelligence chief, Maj Gen Abel Kandiho, faced sanctions for alleged human rights violations.
These sanctions led to a diplomatic standoff between the two nations.
At that time, UPDF spokesperson Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso expressed Uganda’s disappointment over the U.S. sanctions on Kandiho, implying that he had not received a fair hearing from U.S. authorities prior to the imposition of what she termed unilateral financial sanctions.
“You know, there’s separating duty from a person. When these arrests are made, they are made on account of crime,” Byekwaso was quoted in 2021.
Biden’s administration has also targeted Ugandan government officials with sanctions, including Speaker Anita Among and her husband Moses Magogo.
It remains uncertain whether Trump will continue with sanctions on Ugandan officials this time, as recent measures have strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.
After Trump’s election victory, Speaker Among expressed hope that his administration might alleviate international pressures on Uganda.
“Now that Donald Trump has won, the sanctions are gone,” she stated, signalling confidence that his administration may foster stronger diplomatic ties and avoid sanctions on Uganda.
