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Opinion: Gen Tumukunde Brings The Missing Aroma Of Intellectualism In Uganda’s Politics

By Sam Evidence Orikunda

While meeting a group of  people in Kampala, President Museveni the commander in chief of the armed forces saluted Mark Bugembe aka Butcha Man,  a faded  dancehall musician who claims to be the President of the Ghetto.  I am not belittling Butcha Man or under looking him but what the President did  was a signal to the country that our politics had shifted from the intellectuals to the musicians.

Singing is not bad, it has made some successful people and known to the world but I think if we need leaders of the country, we shouldn’t choose from musicians basing on the reasons I will give. 

Music can help in mobilising the population and sensitising people let say about diseases but I am not convinced that we should get key players in our country’s Politics from the music industry.

If we do so, where will the professors, learned counsels and medical doctors go?  People who have vast knowledge about administration and building the country, where will they go?

After Bobi Wine, a celebrated Ugandan Musician chose to stand as MP and luckily won the election, the NRM thought they would take him on using fellow musicians.

This has seen people like Catherine Kusasira get expensive cars as a token from the President and even get huge amounts of money to do mobilisation which she uses to pose for  pictures and later  post on Facebook.

Most unemployed youth, who are suffering poverty are on Facebook and they watch all that stuff.

I think those videos annoy them instead of being convinced to join NRM. This happens because a wrong person is being used to do a right thing. Obviously what is expected is endless mistakes and failure.

During the delegates Conference that took place at Nambole last month, Full Figure and Bebe Cool were seen going up and down to welcome the President.

They had organized half naked girls who danced their legs wide open in efforts to impress the honorable Ministers and delegates and also welcome the President in an “honorable” and “deserving” manner. 

I told the people I was sitting with that it was very wrong and we all agreed.

It’s very true, that the musicians are also Ugandans.

Just like any other citizens, they’ve rights to participate in our country’s Politics either through campaigning or standing as candidates and be voted for.

But I feel the musicians are not the right people to take center of our country’s Politics, given their lack of experience, seniority, capacity to lead and knowledge about leadership.

What is more interesting is that a few of those Musicians can ably express themselves in English; they frequently use Luganda and other local languages to communicate.

I’ve only seen Bebe Cool and Bobi Wine trying. The reason why these musicians make news each time they  appear on television during Political talk shows is that they  force themselves to do  something they can’t manage, they’re talented in  singing and dancing not leadership.

For the time Bobi Wine has spent in active politics, right from the day he was declared winner of the Kyadondo MP race, he has not done much to convince the voters.

In fact at one point he messed when he was asked about the economy of Uganda. He received a lot of criticism and since then, Bobi Wine has never appeared on any Political talk show.

He instead sends Joel Senyonyi his spokesperson. As journalist who is not a musician Joel is informed. His ability to explain and debate with other Politicians has kept people power somehow in the lime light and I don’t think Bobi Wine would have managed if he continued speaking on behalf of People Power  Group or attending those debates.

Today our national newspapers and televisions write stories with headlines about musicians. Not about their industry but about politics. In fact even the entertainment programs have instead changed to politics and you watch all that drama and feel disgusted. No wisdom in it, it’s just stories of musicians insulting each other, obscenity and lack of knowledge.

Gen Henry Tumukunde comes at that point of time when our country’s Politics has lost direction and instead went to music. I think he will help redirect our country’s Politics back to intellectuals who will do what is supposed to be done for the good of our democracy and country’s development. It will now be about debate and convincing people through well explained ideas.

It’s though that kind of Politics that we will get good leaders to lead our country and get people out of poverty.

I hope that he will engage us more about what has not been done, such that we get mandated to explain to the satisfaction of the voters so that we may be considered for their support once again.

The talk that he has been bought is hogwash. I believe every Ugandan has got a right to declare their intentions, and offer themselves as candidates such that they can be voted.

There’s no doubt that the NRM and President Museveni are still popular and still enjoy the majority support of Ugandans.

 Gen Tumukunde will have a task of explaining what he intends to do and change all the supporters of NRM for him which is very difficult and nearly impossible.

My support for his candidature is based on the fact that he will redirect our country’s Politics to the right direction.

It will no longer be a drama scene but serious issues about education, health, agriculture and several others. Those are the key areas that deserve attention for any Country to develop. It’s not about wearing red berets, singing songs, dancing and other silly things musicians are doing of recent as another form of Politicking and getting the attention of the president for cash and other material things.

Politics of populism is not good.

Bobi Wine, Bebe cool and colleagues are building on their popularity which they got from music to do Politics. Not that they’ve ideas or bringing something different from what we’ve been seeing. When President Museveni and team went to the bush they were from the Universities and  other institutions.

They were not from the music industry, I hope they had popular musicians then but those Musicians were busy doing music.  Some people argue that the musicians played a big role in fighting apartheid in South Africa but none of these musicians later became president or Member of Parliament. It was Mandela and other learned colleagues who took over the leadership of their country.

Uganda hasn’t run out of intellectuals, I am confident that we’ve a position among the most educated countries in Africa and the world. One speaker while speaking to the people said “once wise people refuse to involve themselves in politics they will always be ruled by fools” and once people are ruled by fools a lot of bad things happen.

This is why Idi Amin crumbled the economy of Uganda and killed  a big number of people when he became president.

Most intellectuals died including judges, celebrated religious leaders and several others. Sanity was restored when Amin was overthrown by learned boys who knew how to do Politics and protect citizens instead of butchering them.

Gen Tumukunde has his reasons to why is offering himself as a candidate. I believe he has seen a number of weaknesses of the current Government which he feels he will work on once trusted with support and later votes.

The NRM will defend itself on each of those issues raised by Gen Tumukunde and then the debate will continue. That’s how Politics is supposed to be done. Not these “Kumanyoko” Politics of Bebe cool, Bobi wine, Catherine Kusasira and colleagues. Musicians are important because they help in sensitizing people,   entertainment and even supporting the economy through paying taxes.

However they’re not good for Politics, as their industry is famous in Uganda for fighting each other, proving greatness and several other funny things they do.

The writer is a passionate cadre of the movement and the aspiring western youth member of Parliament.

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