Newly-elected Robert Sentamu Kyagulanyi says he will continue to use music as a strong tool for communication even as he heads to Parliament to represent Kyadondo East constituency.
Popularly known to his fans as Bobi Wine, the 35-year-old musician secured a landslide in the Kyadondo East by-election, beating four other candidates including two former legislators.
Kyagulanyi who contested as an Independent candidate got 25,659 votes while his closet rival, the ruling NRM party candidate Sitenda Ssebalu polled 4,556. Apollo Kantinti, who won the seat in 2016 before court nullified his election over election malpractice, polled 1,832. Other candidates were Muwada Nkunyingi who got 575 and Male Kayongo Sowedi who managed only 377 votes.
Now, Kyagulanyi plans to continue his music saying leadership needs talent and music is his talent. He says music is a universal language which has brought people together but also used to communicate issues affecting local people such poverty and disease.
Kyagulanyi says that just like he has done with music, he will use politics to bring the people of Uganda together. He says his victory is for a new idea of leadership focused on the people for their own interest.
Kyagulanyi says his music, always focusing on social justice, will complement his role in Parliament.
“Man, I’m a talented musician. Music has always been a tool, a vehicle for me to transport message far and wide. Music is a universal language, music has always brought us together. So, I want politics to bring us together. I want to do the same in politics but music will still be a strong tool that I will use to communicate everything that I want to communicate to the people”, he said.
Kyagulanyi sends a message to those who, as he put it, stereotype musicians thinking they will not perform at the highest political stage. He says as a youth who grew up in the slum, he is better placed to represent poor people because he understands their needs.
“There’s something called stereotype, yeah…For long, there has been that stereotype but probably that is why God raises people like me to prove certain negative perceptions wrong. I was born in the ghetto, it is me, I went to school. I graduated from Makerere University but I was not employed. It is music that brought me to your screens, to your sitting rooms, brought me to your souls. It is music that has communicated most of the things I wanted to communicate. So, to me, music is a blessing and it is music that is going to bring us together. And is music that we’re going to employ many times like Bob Marley said; we handle things in a rub-a-dub style”, he added.
Kyagulanyi will spend the next three years and eight months in Parliament legislating and debating on matters that affect the nation. He joins other artistes already in the House who include Lubaga South MP Kato Lubwama and Buikwe Woman MP, Judith Babirye.
The Kyadondo East seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the High court decision nullifying the election of Kantinti. Court ruled that there was non-compliance with election rules during the February 18, 2016 elections, including disfranchising the voters and also failing to secure custody of election materials.
The ruling followed a petition to court by Sitenda Sebalu who lost to Kantinti by a margin of 326 votes.
Born on February 12, 1982 in Mpigi district, Kyagulanyi grew up mostly in the slums of Kamwokya in Kampala and struggled with education until he attained a diploma in Music Dance and Drama at Makerere University. He is currently pursuing a degree in law.
Also known as the ‘Ghetto President’ by his peers, Kyagulanyi started making music in the early 2000, with a first hit Akagoma and Funtula which propelled him in the music world. He was part of the Kampala based Fire Base Crew but later founded the Ghetto Crew located in Kamwokya, where he grew up.
He is known for his other singles such as Kadingo which talks about personal hygiene, Ebibuuzo about social life, Obululu Tebutwawula and Dembe, both talking about election violence.