JINJA, Uganda—Political tides are changing in Ugandan politics as political parties become more innovative in rallying support for their parties and candidates using the country’s popular music icons.
Previously despised and under looked as rogue elements in society, musician in the recent part have become huge political capital for politicians and the affluent in Ugandan, rubbing shoulders the president and Ministers and sometime CEOs of multi-national companies.
Popular Musician turned politician, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine has become the symbol of change in Uganda preaching the gospel equality, freedom and human rights. He agenda and message resonates well that longtime opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye and this has brought together to fight for Change.
There is a by-election due to take place this week for Jinja East constituency in Jinja district Eastern Uganda and Wine was a show on the campaign trail pulling mammoth crowd for the FDC candidate Paul Mwiru.
“I was running for Parliament last year, Paul Mwiru was the chief campaigner for my opponent Apollo Kantinti. When I won, Mwiru called me to congratulate me and as time went on, we found ourselves on the same side trying to save the constitution from outright abrogation. In the course of time, we have come to realize that since we stand for the same values, we must unite if we are to win. Yes we have the masses behind us, but that’s not enough, we must turn those masses into votes and we must protect those votes,” Wine said
He said: “I am therefore personally travelling to Jinja East today to support and campaign for my comrade Paul Mwiru because the struggle for equal rights and justice is not a one man fight. As Martin Luther King once said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This is Jinja’s turn to get pro-people representation.”
On the other hand popular music stars like Bebe Cool, Dr. Jose Chameleon and others are held high as a political resource for the ruling National Resistances Movement (NRM) and have been used to drum support for the president, the party and for NRM party candidates.
In Jinja East, they were also a show on political rallies helping the president to drum support for NRM candidate
