As polls open in Uganda, the choice facing voters is stark. On one side stands Yoweri Museveni, the 81-year-old "Old Man of the Hat," a guerrilla leader who has ruled since 1986. On the other is Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, the 43-year-old "Ghetto President" who raps about freedom and wears a red beret of resistance.

It is not just an election; it is a collision of eras. Museveni campaigns on stability, reminding voters of the peace he brought after the bloody years of Amin. Bobi Wine campaigns on dignity, speaking for the millions of unemployed youth who feel suffocated by a regime that has overstayed its welcome.

Style vs Substance?

Critics dismiss Wine as a populist with no plan, but his connection to the street is visceral. Museveni dismisses him as a novice, but the President’s reliance on the military betrays a fear of the pop star’s influence. Today, Uganda decides which version of itself it wants to be: the stable, militarized past, or the chaotic, hopeful future.