Uganda: Old wine struggles against new wine
August 24 2018 By Abiodun Giwa
Robert Kyagulanyi known as Bobi Wine
A Kampala court on Thursday ordered the irrepressible Ugandan singer, Robert kyagulanyi - popularly known as Bobi Wine, remanded in custody for treason.
News report said that Wine was freed for weapons possession by a military court, where he was appeared, but re-arrested and taken to a magistrate court for treason.
Wine's case has brought Uganda to a new light in the international community, where the world has put Idi Amin's era behind and watching Yoweri Museveni’s hold on the country as a new worry.
Through his protest music against tyranny and oppression, Wine has captured majority of Uganda's attention with a brand of Afro music that is a reminder of Nigeria's Fela Anikulapo Kuti and the current running battle with the authorities.
But unlike Anikulapo, Wine has succeeded in becoming an elected MP and with his popular music, he has become a thorn in the flesh of Museveni's government. Is it the reason the government want him out of circulation? People aware of developments in Uganda have asked
Your guess is as good as that of the other observers. Wine has a large following and a youth movement, enough for the media around the world to call him the uncrowned ghetto president. Therefore, many people think the government's effort is to repress him, to avoid Museveni's imminent loss to him in a free and fair election.
There were reports about fears for wine’s life, while he was in detention - due to reports by his lawyer that he was tortured. But government said he was not tortured. Arraigning Wine in a military court for weapons possession and freeing him to be rearraigned in a magistrate court for treason shows the confusion, which Wine's case has placed Museveni’s government. It also shows all that the government is doing is to disallow him from challenging Museveni in an election.
What Wine has going for him is the power of his music and his decision to go into politics than being on the sideline. Just as he quotes Martin Luther King Jr in one of his songs titled “Freedom”, "In the end we remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
In Freedom, Wine makes it clear in song that his involvement in music and politics is a fight for freedom. He echoes the slave trade, oppression worse than apartheid, how the gun has become a master, citizen slave, bleeding of the pearl of Africa and questions about liberation without peaceful transition.
Of course, Constitution that government disrespects is not left out, as well as lack of freedom of expression, and with direct reference to Uganda, amid questions about what this generation is teaching the young generation, about leaders becoming mis-leaders, mentors becoming tormentors, and freedom fighters becoming dictators.
Wine enlists all to become part of the new fight for freedom, irrespective of calling, education, age, sex and religion, in a rallying call that has ignited a new awareness among Ugandans and a headache for Museveni. Because the new wine is stronger than the old wine. Bobi's wine's music is powerful and highly appealing and the people are captivated by his music.
News report said that Wine was freed for weapons possession by a military court, where he was appeared, but re-arrested and taken to a magistrate court for treason.
Wine's case has brought Uganda to a new light in the international community, where the world has put Idi Amin's era behind and watching Yoweri Museveni’s hold on the country as a new worry.
Through his protest music against tyranny and oppression, Wine has captured majority of Uganda's attention with a brand of Afro music that is a reminder of Nigeria's Fela Anikulapo Kuti and the current running battle with the authorities.
But unlike Anikulapo, Wine has succeeded in becoming an elected MP and with his popular music, he has become a thorn in the flesh of Museveni's government. Is it the reason the government want him out of circulation? People aware of developments in Uganda have asked
Your guess is as good as that of the other observers. Wine has a large following and a youth movement, enough for the media around the world to call him the uncrowned ghetto president. Therefore, many people think the government's effort is to repress him, to avoid Museveni's imminent loss to him in a free and fair election.
There were reports about fears for wine’s life, while he was in detention - due to reports by his lawyer that he was tortured. But government said he was not tortured. Arraigning Wine in a military court for weapons possession and freeing him to be rearraigned in a magistrate court for treason shows the confusion, which Wine's case has placed Museveni’s government. It also shows all that the government is doing is to disallow him from challenging Museveni in an election.
What Wine has going for him is the power of his music and his decision to go into politics than being on the sideline. Just as he quotes Martin Luther King Jr in one of his songs titled “Freedom”, "In the end we remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
In Freedom, Wine makes it clear in song that his involvement in music and politics is a fight for freedom. He echoes the slave trade, oppression worse than apartheid, how the gun has become a master, citizen slave, bleeding of the pearl of Africa and questions about liberation without peaceful transition.
Of course, Constitution that government disrespects is not left out, as well as lack of freedom of expression, and with direct reference to Uganda, amid questions about what this generation is teaching the young generation, about leaders becoming mis-leaders, mentors becoming tormentors, and freedom fighters becoming dictators.
Wine enlists all to become part of the new fight for freedom, irrespective of calling, education, age, sex and religion, in a rallying call that has ignited a new awareness among Ugandans and a headache for Museveni. Because the new wine is stronger than the old wine. Bobi's wine's music is powerful and highly appealing and the people are captivated by his music.
HTML Comment Box is loading comments...
