PEP Forum Uganda

Africa: the music that challenges political power and calls for unity


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The musician and opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi, better known by the artist name Bobi Wine, is feared by the elite: he is so popular that he threatens President of Uganda long-standing hold on power. Through his music he has gained a huge fan base among youth in Africa, not only in Uganda. NRM | National Resistance Movement have had the government in Uganda ever since 1986 together with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who promised "Freedom and Democracy" for more than thirty years. Bobi Wine's music threatens the elite's grip on power with the slogan "People power" and focuses on questions that occupy most people: Poor public services,Violent corruption that is not punished, and The obvious violations of human rights done by security forces

What are the differences between Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (1944) vs. Bobi Wine (1982) on the road from rebels to presidential power ? 

Its a pity when we know even from Museveni's own book "What Is Africa's Problem?" that was published the same year he came to power. Here he writes: The problem of Africa in general and Uganda in particular is not the people, but leaders who want to overstay in power. There have been positive change under the leadership of Museveni; Uganda have seen strong economic growth, and Museveni as a former Marxist kept the international community happy by fulfilling the IMF -- International Monetary and the World Bank's desire to liberalize the economy. 

When the economic growth rate climbed over seven percent in the 1990s, he boasted of being president of one of Africa's fastest growing economies and with economic growth poverty reduction and a tripling of primary school children. 

Museveni brought a kind of democracy to grassroots by introducing elections with various candidates at the village level. At that time he was loved by both Ugandans and the West - despite internal challenges with: language, culture, values, social and economic background.


Ugandans have lived with brutal dictators for so long that a promise of change is no longer enough to make them happy: in 2019 we now see that many of the political promises never fulfilled and if the socialist Museveni of 1986, with his thoughts on democracy and Freedom, had met himself as president in 2019, they would argue: When our leaders become misleaders and mentors become tormentors, when the freedom of expression becomes the target of oppression, opposition becomes our position.

Bobi Wine with his political text and music have nothing in common with Museveni but they have to sit down and agree how to deal with situation for the youth and elders. That will serve Ugandans: he is not a politician, he is a traumatized musician that believes in "People Power" and his music speaks directly to Ugandans with the message: women die during birth every day in Uganda, There is no medication in the hospitals, People struggle hard to get an education, Many youth do not have a job.

Bobi Wine is governed by impulses, Ugandan laws and love for Ugandans; therefore, he decided to become a politician and make elections for the National Assembly, so that he could speak directly to the government and bring out the message even more clearly and in 2018/2019 they perceived his message - "UGANDA ZUKUKA"



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PEP Forum UgandaBy PEP Forum