I should begin this way: struggles choose their icons. Not the other way round.
There are many, many change-loving Ugandans – perhaps good-intentioned, and with wonderful ideas – who would love to call the shots in the fight against Yoweri Museveni’s chiefdom.
But the struggle has not chosen them. It is not within their powers to catapult themselves to the front. Through a series of often unrelated events and circumstances, and the actions of particular individuals, a struggle sets it own project and picks its own leaders/icons to deliver on this project.
While it tends to pick from those who have offered themselves – often people with outstanding public profiles – oftentimes, struggles have picked perfect strangers and turned them into kingmakers. They could even be dead, in exile or in jail to move a revolutionary moment.
Notice also that the struggle doesn’t have a clear-cut formula of who qualifies to be its icon. If there was one – such as a university degree or being imprisoned – many would have fought blood and tears to make that requirement. But there is none.
Yes, struggles make mistakes. They might anoint a wrong icon. But to their credit, once a struggle realises its mistake, it discards that icon. It could be immediate or later. Notice also that struggles often define their projects on a short-term basis.
Thus, struggles are projects defined in a specific time. Indeed, once that project is completed – in success or failure – that icon has to be replaced or reformed against a new project. Sometimes, there is an immediate replacement.
But many times, we all have to wait. Notice also that oftentimes, there are many things ongoing in society requiring urgent leadership. Not all of them will concern the struggle in selecting the icon of the moment. Oftentimes, the struggle on its own accord chooses one supposedly more urgent or more encompassing struggle and selects a more fitting icon.
The problem then begins when observers and pundits write their own concerns and frustrations onto the icon of the moment without understanding the assignments that the struggle spelled out for its icon.
BOBI WINE’S ANOINTMENT
When the struggle selected Bobi Wine to be its icon, it found Ugandans at a point of absolute desperation. Our love with Dr Kizza Besigye had not necessarily died down but had hit a stalemate.
It had run out of oomph and urgency. Still confronted by the same project – getting rid of Yoweri Museveni – we had become sceptical as to whether KB would deliver on this project. We were desperate for a new icon.
Then in 2017, the stars aligned in favour of an artiste – almost from nowhere (except for cultural studies majors). Amidst this desperation, Ugandans heaped all their concerns and frustrations onto this artiste.
Problematically associated into the belief that leaders ought to know everything, we wanted Bobi Wine to be a policy wonk, a military strategist, a trade unionist, a financial expert. When he didn’t meet our frustrations, many clever pundits and journalists came after him.
Sadly, while the policy questions they were asking were right, they were asking the wrong man. Ignored or misunderstood by many was that the assignment Bobi Wine had had been particularly and precisely defined by the struggle that chose him: Yoweri Museveni.
It is my sobering opinion that while Bobi Wine might actually claim something, he had no idea what type of Uganda he would try to craft had he managed to lead a Museveni overthrow.
And that is not a weakness on his part – as wisecracks ridiculed him. Defining a new Uganda required a new set of icons and leaders that the struggle would entrust with this responsibility. These icons have not emerged because the first assignment remains incomplete.
Indeed, after the failure of the project assigned, Bobi Wine’s stardom had to die with the dead project. But stars don’t disappear just like that. Because a star never really knows about their selection, they also never know when their shine is about to disappear.
While they continue into a routine of normality – as leaders and icons –they enter a state of stalemate as their shine goes through the throes of fading. (Again, this is not a swipe at Bobi Wine; I am simply narrating the life-cycle of movements and struggles).
Notice that if the star destined for disappearance manages to repackage themselves for selection, their stardom can actually be reinvigorated. It is easier for them to be re-selected. This is what happened to Dr Kizza Besigye for over 20 years, when he remained as the champion of the struggle.
BOBI WINE RE-ELECTION?
In all fairness, Bobi Wine (2017-2021) isn’t the star we have now as we move into the next revolutionary moment. While the project of unseating Museveni is still the main assignment, Bobi Wine has lost his lustre as the man for the job.
But this has nothing to do with the man’s weaknesses. Not at all. He remains the same man with the same strengths. But this is the lifecycle of struggles – and their icons. The icons enter routines of normal people; they are exploited by both the pugilist on the other side, and by friendly but selfish hungry hyenas.
Because projects are meant to be executed short-term, protraction dents the icons. In addition to intense scrutiny and competing interests, hitherto ignorable weaknesses become visible or spotlighted.
Since the struggle is yet to find a new icon, Bobi Wine will trudge on. Again, he has power to refashion himself and make himself available for re-selection or even dominance. The problem is that this reselection is not entirely in his hands.
While he could lead actual struggle – such as exorbitant taxes or theft by telecoms – or resign from NUP, he has to wait for the myriad stars to align. The point I am making is this: No one can really write him off but the stars, which neither of us can really read.
yusufkajura@gmail.com
The author is a political theorist based at Makerere University.
Doc, eacj of one of us has something they’re good at. Kyagulanyi is very good as an artist, which is tje reason why he has a sold fan base, thus the polical capital he accumulation he later acquired when he came on the political scene. However, Kyagulanyi to advantage of his popularity as an artist or Bobi Wine to join politics and make money. To that end, he has accomplished his objective to make money and probably may continue for a while. Certainly, Kyagulanyi is not in it for a struggle to remove M7 from power. Hell no. Kyagulanyi is good at what he knows best, that is being one of the best fugazi Uganda has ever produced! He even sang a song, “Buli omu asibba kiwanyi.” Meaning that everyone is a fugazi.
From this article, its clear that what we expect to happen after 2026 general elections cant be imagined given the ongoing events now. Our near future is DARK!
“Certainly, Kyagulanyi is not in it for a struggle to remove M7 from power. Hell no. Kyagulanyi is good at what he knows best, that is being one of the best fugazi Uganda has ever produced! He even sang a song, “Buli omu asiba kiwani.” Meaning that everyone is a fugazi in present day Uganda-themed merchandise!”
Remase you have a point that emphasises the points made in this one of the many articles this Yusuf Serunkuma has expounded. Yusuf has written much more about Uganda Constitutional making and governance probably than any one else. Uganda has produced four distinct constitutions for its whole independence: in 1962, 1966, 1967, and 1995, with the 1995 Constitution still in effect today, though it has been significantly amended over the years. In Christian terms one would replicate Yusuf to the scribes (Envagelists; Mark, Luke, Mathew, and John) who worked hard to write about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Such scribes or envagelists or prophets like Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu do not remove brutal leaders who are bent on arresting and killing innocent civilians. To remove M7 from Uganda State power at Entebbe, Buganda under his 1995 hurriedly constructed constitution that he changes whenever he feels like, is very difficult indeed for Mr Kyagulanyi. Much of the Ganda tribes people insist that they are not going to participate in the coming national elections because these national elections are not democratic. They are violent, they are full of Gerrymandering, it is all about enacting national electoral fraud. The national elections are not free and fair. The Kingdom state of Buganda is better off constitutionally under the former gentleman’s agreement with the rest of the tribal states that formulated the Unity of Uganda during the 1962 sovereignty!
Kabeyekka, there is an article in the Monitor in which lawyer Peter Walubiri says, “Uganda’s 1995 is built on quicksand.” Anything built on quicksand is bound to fall because it lacks stable foundation. That’s why Uganda is in a total mess. Walubiri goes on to say that since M7 came to power, Uganda has never held elections that meet constitutional standard. He goes further and argues that, Uganda’s 1995 constitution was never meant to serve Ugandans but was designed to entrench M7’s rule. This brings me back to why Kyagulanyi is a fugazi who never came to remove M7 or even care about the struggle at all. This is evidenced in the fact that Kyagalanyi made it abundantly clear from the get go that Besigye is the problem, but not M7 who changed the constitution that was made by Ugandans, in which we preferred a “federo” system of govt and presidential term limits. Kyagulanyi blamed Besige to stand 4 tines and lost, then claimed that there’s no democracy. Kyagulanyi wilfully failed to blame M7 who changed the constitution in order to entrench himself and stand and rig each and every bogus and violent elections. Kyagulanyi Claims that M7 [only] rigged him or has never rigged any other elections. He petitioned the court, then withdrew the petition saying that he was going to take his matter to the people. As we’re still waiting for Kyagulanyi to bring his matter to the people, he is now telling us to go to 2026 bogus and violent elections, then protest afterwards! Why would the 2026 polls be different from the 2021 polls or any other before? The reason why he claims that it’ll be a protest vote is because Kyagulanyi knows the winner beforehand. Why would Kyagulanyi stand against M7 again, with clear knowledge of the winner beforehand. He blamed Besigye to stand 4 times and lost. How does that make sense?
Kyagulanyi is heartless and doesn’t care about the pain Ugandans are going through in the bogus and violent elections. To mention but a few bogus and violent elections in which innocent people have been abducted, killed and others are missing, without Kyagulanyi demanding for accountability and/or protest paka last or until those who unleash violence on Ugandans are held accountable. Kyagulanyi’s driver Yasin Kawuma was killed in the August 2018 Arua municipality parliamentary by-election. M7 clearly knows those who killed Kawuma. Over 150 innocent people were killed in Nov 2020 when people protested after M7 detained Kyagulanyi in Jinja. M7 knows those who killed those innocent Ugandans. Others were killed after Kyagulanyi went back to the campaign trail, including his bodyguard, Francis Kasozi, who was run over and over by the militant truck. Mr. Johnbosco Kibalama was abducted on June 3, 2019, by gun-wielding men on Gayaza Road, and has not been heard from since. Nabanja told us that the govt knows where Kibalama is. As we speak, Besigye and Haji Lutale were abducted from Kenya and are now rotting in prison. Muhoozi M7 clearly told us that he detained and tortured Kyagulanyi’s bodyguard and best friend, Edie Mutwe, in his basement, where he also taught Lunyankole. Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro the deputy spokesperson of NUP was abducted on September 8, 2025, when he came out of the Kawempe Magistrate’s Court in which Mutwe had appeared. All the aforesaid doesn’t amount to protest, but Kyagulanyi want us to believe that he is going to lead a mother of all protests after M7 rigs the 2026 bogus and violent elections, right?
But Dr., Dr. Yusuf, as it was and will be in the political history of the RISE and FALL of all dictators and/or Empires; eventually the ODDS, which our 84-years-old PROBLEM AFRICA, Gen Tibuhaburwa stacked sky high against Dr. Besigye, and now on Hon Kyagulanyi, as days follow nights the very ODDS will one day collapse and BURY him and cabal.
E.g., after 42 years of uninterrupted absolute power over the Libyan people, such odds against Libyan iconographers buried Ghaddafi in the City of Bengazi sewer system 14 years ago.
“Kyagulanyi want us to believe that he is going to lead a mother of all protests after M7 rigs the 2026 bogus and violent elections, right?” It is unfortunate that there are many citizens of Uganda who continously believe that this artist turned politician is speaking the truth with all the iconography he can master. No, not at all because many politicians speak lies and get paid highly for doing nothing. That is why indeed there should be constant proper democratic elections that can weed them out of action. There are many examples of political weeds that have been flung on the sides of the road all over the continent of Africa. One remembers very well how much of the Ankole Kingdom was one hundred UPC for the return of Dr Obote. The African honorary Doctor lied to them that where Amin stopped him that is where he is going to begin to provide immense wealthy to the Ankole Republican fraternity. That is why initially Ankole people hated M7 who only wanted civil wars to prevail on the continent of Africa. While at the same time the deceased Kawanga Ssemwogerere lied, and again lied using symbols, work of art, etc to the Ganda Monarch diehards that they should all come out in mass from their humble homes and go to the voting centres and vote for him to stop the return of the brutal Dr Obote to come and murder the Ganda tribes people left, right and centre 1980! Kawanga said as the DP always says, democracy works perfect well in Uganda than the barrel of the AK47 gun as he hid from the return back of Professor Yusuf Lule from Nairobi!
Kabayekka, let them say what they will, the truth remains that, Kyagulanyi is a fugazi, who is motivated by the desire to make money as the leading opposition figure and NUP as the leading opposition party in parliament. Mbu, the 2026 bogus and violent elections are a protest vote. Protest my ass!! Then why didn’t Kyagulanyi protest in 2021 bogus and violent elections after he claimed that he was rigged out? Are the 2026 bogus and violent elections going to be the first one [in which] Kyagulanyi knows the winner beforehand, mbu, that’s why he is preparing for a mother of all protests? Kyagulanyi clearly knows that M7 has rigged bogus and violent elections all his life, and clearly knows that M7 is the winner of the 2026 bogus and violent elections, which is the reason why Kyagulanyi calls it a protest vote. Why doesn’t Kyagulanyi protest now? Kyagulanyi is not interest in removing My from power but make money in bogus and violent elections. Period.