a new populist movement in uganda
is challenging one of the continent's
longest-serving presidents
with elections in january the opposition
says it's not
a fair fight
we are being presided over by a military
general who took power 34 years ago
by force of arms and since then we've
been ruled
under the barrel of the ghana the
challenge of this country is not about
the president must have any
and it's to do with us first of all the
community the ugandans ourselves
so does the new contender stand a chance
[Music]
the young urban and poor have never had
such an influential role
in uganda's politics as today more than
75 percent of uganda's population
are under 30 and popular musician bobby
wine
the self-declared ghetto president is
seen as the main
challenger to president museveni his run
for office has excited
young ugandans who want a different
future
but public support for bobby can make
you a target
what can we see is that you in in
hospital after you were hit with the
with the rubber bullet yeah
yeah um
police regularly used tear gas and even
live bullets to break up opposition
events
the bbc approached the police for a
response to the allegations of violence
against opposition supporters
but they declined to comment president
museveni has held power since 1986
after waging a guerrilla war and he's
clear that
anyone threatening the country's
security will be dealt with
harshly
[Music]
hopes his run is part of a bigger
movement across
africa he points to populist protests in
nigeria
zimbabwe and namibia as proof that like
many africans
ugandans are ready for change yes i
recognize that we are
up against a goliath we are up against
a system that is entrenched but we are
confident because the people of uganda
are on our side but his victory would
rely on young voters
bobby wines says he is the ghetto
president
but the real president joromo 70 still
hasn't given up
on winning the youth vote even in
disadvantaged areas like here in in
zambia chiron bay
in kampala his senior advisor for youth
affairs liliana bear who is just
33 years old is out canvassing
for support she brought us to an
opposition stronghold full of young
discontented voters the people the
ruling party
hopes to bring on board
what can president roosevelt do
men's foreign are down now men people
have lost hope we are going to be giving
money and funds to support
the youth and this is focusing basically
on the youth in the ghetto
and also another request i have for
everyone
is to avoid violence come and support
nrm
so is that the choice that young people
have to make join the government
you won't face arrest you'll get the
money you need to set up the business
you want or stick with your position
and really your life's your own anything
could happen
so it's not that the youth must never
oppose government
that is your own ideological belief we
have
many of the youth wine government many
of the youth who are
not in government but as we are catering
for all the political affiliations
we must make sure that both parties
don't go into violence
and what's your assessment of bobby wine
everybody says he's captured young
people's imagination
in this country in other parts of the
world where are the the municipalities
or the towns or the ghettos
that's why his influence when you go
deep to the village they didn't even
know
about him totally his way of agitating
for power
of making noise who shouting here and
there i do not believe you take him to
to to state house of the country of
uganda
why do you still believe that president
museveni is
a good leader or should be the president
you know when you're in a political
party
there is what they call the the key
scorer
you may not want to take him off before
getting a clear replacement
and definitely at an opportune time
you'll definitely
get another person to run for presidency
i am not among the people who think
president seven is immortal
bobby wine faces tough questions about
whether he actually has the experience
and policies to be president but while
museveni has made promises to secure the
future of uganda's young population
many want change at the top how that
happens remains one of the country's
biggest challenges
you