Uganda elections 2021: Bobi Wine, di pop star wey wan unseat President Yoweri Museveni afta 35 years in power

E neva get anytime wey peaceful handover of power don happun for Uganda, but pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine dey hope to change dat by unseating long-serving President Yoweri Museveni for Thursday's vote. BBC Africa correspondent Catherine Byaruhanga take a look at di challenger.

Few weeks before di general election and wetin fit be di biggest day of Bobi Wine life as he bring im presidential campaign to im family ancestral home.

Di 38-year-old pop star, wey im real name na Robert Kyagulanyi, gain im popularity for di informal settlements of di capital, Kampala, but even in Kanoni, one sleepy rural town for central Uganda, dem dey support am.

Hundreds of young pipo, mostly men dressed in red, seem to comot from di bushes and gardens and surround im motorcade. Bobi Wine, wey dem dey also call "ghetto president", climb through di sunroof of im white Toyota Landcruiser and wave at di crowds - and dey ansa.

For one unlikely dressing move for a presidential candidate, he don start dey wear bullet-proof vest and protective helmet.

For December, dem shoot one bullet through im car windscreen narrowly missing one passenger. Bobi Wine say im think say im life dey in danger.

For Kanoni, as e don happun many times during campaign , he don run into police and military blockade- dem fire teargas and bullets- Authorities say dem dey try find and disperse crowds and enforce Covid-19 guidelines.

But Bobi Wine believed dis na yet anoda sign of intimidation. He don consistently dey tok say dis no go happun as im feel say im be head of a mass movement.

"Pipo no just dey follow me. Pipo dey follow di ideal wey I represent," he tell BBC in 2019.

"I no start am and I no go end am. I be just one of di millions and millions of Ugandans wey want beta"

Di manifesto of im National Unity Platform (NUP) party dey geared towards basic needs like improving access to healthcare, education, clean water and justice. All of dis, di NUP tok say dem fit only do am, if dem remove President Museveni from power.

Ova di last two decades Bobi Wine musical output don dey been filled wit songs about dis issues and e don inspire one ogbonge following.

'He understand us'

Twenty-three-year-old law student Marion Kirabo dey campaign to be local councillor and she be one of im supporters.

"Even before im political life he be pesin wey di the youth fit identify wit," she tok.

"Especially through im music, you fit clearly see say he understood di social issues wey young pipo dey face, especially young pipo wey come from ghetto."

Wen President Museveni came to power for 1986, Bobi Wine dey just about to turn four, and e dey live for Kanoni.

Central Uganda don be di battleground of di bush war wey bring Oga Museveni rebel National Resistance Army, and im political wing, di National Resistance Movement (NRM), to power.

Bobi Wine grandpapa, Yozefu Walakira, dey part of one different rebel contingent but from time to time during di conflict wey Oga Museveni host for im house.

Walakira die during di civil war afta im wunjure wen dem bomb im house - an attack wey also kill three family members.

Bobi Wine family later moved to Kampala, im mama Margaret Nalunkuuma, wey be nurse, na di main breadwinner and she buy land for di Kamwokya slum wia di musician live and build im world-famous recording studio.

Some of im primary and secondary schools always dey within walking distance from Kamwokya.

As a teenager he discover im passion for di arts, but wen he first attend di prestigious Makerere University he start to dey study for social sciences degree. After one semester he switch courses and begin music, dance and drama, wia im get diploma from di university for 2003.

'Campaigning all my career'

For 2017, di reggae star turn im hand to politics as he see am as di logical next step.

"You know, all through my musical career, I don dey sing about di challenges wey pipo dey go through," he tell BBC.

"So e look like say I don dey campaign all my musical career."

Im song Tuliyambala Engule (We Shall Wear di Victor's Crown) don become one of di campaign unofficial anthems.

He win by-election to become MP for Kyaddondo-East, one constituency to di north of di capital and even though an independent he align himself with di opposition. for one series of by-elections he campaign for candidates wey defeat hopefuls from di NRM.

E no get any sound of regret for Bobi Wine voice wen he reflect on im rival career inside one BBC interview for 2019.

"Why dat kain prized revolutionary decide to become one of di world's most despised dictators?" he ask.

"But na also lesson to many of us, as we sabi say we dey tok wetin President Museveni dey tok wen e dey like us. And also to remember say na only di idea of building strong institutions fit save us from ourselves."

Di comparison between a younger Oga Museveni - wey dey charismatic, energetic and inspiring - wit today's Bobi Wine dey hard to escape.

Di rebel commander be just 41 years old wen he seize power, dey promise Ugandans security, stronger economy and beta future.

Some dey wonder whether im new challenger full of idealism and populist rhetoric fit make di same mistakes.

Activist Siperia Mollie Saasirabo, 24, wey tok say she don dey "political exile" for Kenya, no to believe in Bobi Wine.

For 2019, she become di face of student protests ova increase in school fees for Makerere University. For dat, dem abduct, beat and leave her barely conscious.

'He no get ideology'

At di end of dat year, she briefly join Bobi Wine party but later comot as she see say di party no get solid ideaology.

"Dem ask am about im economic system wen he boecome president," she tok, referring to one July 2020 interview Bobi Wine give to one local radio station.

"Dem ask if im dey on di left or right of di ideological setting, and im ansa na say im no dey for either right or di left and im go just use wetin go works and dis no make sense for me."

Apart from di large crowds wey gada to support him, like di one for Kanoni, e dey hard to tell how truly popular im dey and whether di cheers go turn to votes. Data on registered voters and dia voting patterns dey very limited.

For dis context e get some wey don already dey question di validity of di vote.

Bobi Wine, however, don encourage pipo to cast dia ballots and say make voters dey sure say rigging for polling stations no happun.