With his charisma, tenacity, and everyman appeal, music star Bobi Wine has shaken up Ugandan politics. Since his career pivot a decade ago, the 43-year-old has become a major thorn in the side of President Yoweri Museveni, an 81-year-old who has been in power for 40 years.
Bobi Wine has enchanted legions of young Ugandans, a demographic that makes up a large portion of the country's population. Having grown up in the slums of the capital, Kampala, he dubbed himself the 'ghetto president' and campaigns on issues such as youth unemployment and human rights.
On January 15, Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, will compete against Museveni in a presidential election for the second time. But the odds are stacked against him. Since entering politics, the self-styled revolutionary has been imprisoned and faced several criminal charges.
His plight has piqued attention around the world - in 2018, musicians including Coldplay's Chris Martin and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn signed a petition demanding his release from custody. Wine was held on charges relating to the illegal possession of firearms, widely viewed as politically motivated. He was subsequently arrested for treason, but eventually, all of these cases were dropped.
Further outrage ensued in 2021 when the police shot at Bobi Wine while he was campaigning. I am the most connected candidate to the population, he told the BBC during his campaign for the forthcoming election. That is why among the eight candidates, I am the most hounded, I am the most harassed, I am the most feared.
The authorities have repeatedly denied that the arrests of Bobi Wine, and supporters and members of his National Unity Platform (NUP) party, have been political. They claim that any detentions have been necessary to maintain law and order.
When Museveni took office in 1986, Bobi Wine was just about to turn four. Museveni and his rebel National Resistance Army (NRA) had seized power in an armed uprising. Bobi Wine's childhood was spent in Kampala, under the care of his mother, a nurse who was the main breadwinner.
After university, he embarked on a music career that branded itself as 'edutainment'—entertainment that educates. Despite his fame, Bobi Wine’s commitment to his roots and the slums where he was raised remains strong.
Throughout his political journey, he developed the People Power movement, significant for promoting democratic reforms, which later evolved into the NUP.
During the 2021 elections, despite being seriously hindered by a violent political climate, Bobi Wine emerged as a notable contender against Museveni, securing 35% of the vote compared to Museveni’s 59%. His political journey, now recognized in a National Geographic documentary titled 'Bobi Wine: The People's President', showcased his fight against corruption and insistence on youth empowerment.
Despite his emerging global recognition, Bobi Wine stresses that his agenda has not transformed; he continues to advocate for the disenfranchised and dreams of a Uganda free from corruption and inequality. As the upcoming elections loom, he remains undeterred, insisting that this election is about liberation, it is about freedom, it is about people asserting their voices. We are asking people to come out and protest in the ballot box.
