Kampala, Uganda | July 18, 2026 — National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has appointed the party’s Deputy President for the Eastern Region, John Baptist Nambeshe, as the new Acting President of the opposition party.
The appointment follows the completion of a four-month tenure by Dr Lina Zedriga Waru, who has been serving as Acting President while Kyagulanyi was away.
Announcing the change on his official X account, Bobi Wine commended Dr. Zedriga for her leadership during the period.
“For four months, Dr. Lina Zedriga Waru has been acting President of our Party. During this period, she has steered the party well and kept the revolution alive. We’re all very grateful for her dedication and service,” he wrote.
Kyagulanyi said Nambeshe would now assume the role of Acting President and called on party leaders and supporters to work with him.
“As her tenure comes to an end, I am pleased to announce that Hon. John Baptist Nambeshe, Deputy President Eastern Region, will be taking over as Acting President of the National Unity Platform. I wish him well and request all leaders and comrades to accord him the necessary support,” he said.
Nambeshe accepted the appointment, describing it as an honour and thanking Kyagulanyi for the confidence placed in him.
“Thank you for placing your trust in me with this appointment. I am deeply honored to step into the role of NUP Acting Party President. Your confidence in my leadership during this pivotal time is both humbling and inspiring,” Nambeshe said in a post on X.
Under NUP’s leadership structure, acting party presidents are appointed to oversee the party’s day-to-day affairs when the substantive president is away from the country or temporarily unable to perform official duties.
Nambeshe, the Member of Parliament for Manjiya County in Bududa District, serves as the party’s Deputy President for the Eastern Region. Before joining NUP ahead of the 2021 General Election, he served as the Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament while a member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
Dr. Lina Zedriga Waru, who has been serving as Deputy President for the Northern Region, assumed the acting presidency four months ago and presided over party activities during that period.
The leadership transition comes as the National Unity Platform continues preparations for the 2026 electoral cycle, with the party expected to intensify mobilisation and organisational activities across the country.
NUP is Uganda’s largest opposition party in Parliament and has maintained a nationwide mobilisation campaign under the People Power movement since the 2021 General Election.
