Uganda: Yoweri Museveni, president for 35 years against Bobi Wine, the icon of youth

Election posters of candidates Bobi Wine and Yoweri Museveni in Kampala, January 4, 2021. © SUMY SADURNI / AFP

Text by: Lucie Mouillaud Follow

16 min

In Uganda, more than two days before the general elections scheduled for Thursday, January 14.

If eleven candidates are running for the presidential election, eyes are mainly on two of them: the outgoing president Yoweri Museveni, and the singer turned main opponent, Bobi Wine, Robert Kyagulanyi of his real name.

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from our correspondent in Kampala,

They are 38 years apart, and two diametrically opposed courses.

Yoweri Museveni grew up in a modest family in rural Uganda in the west of the country.

“ 

He comes from a nomadic community.

His father was a breeder,

explains Don Wanyama, the spokesman for the head of state.

When he came of age, he began to work for his community to settle down, in particular by working the land.

 "

The future president then leaves his region to continue his studies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

At university in the 1960s, he joined forces with militant groups against colonialism, before engaging in guerrilla warfare in Mozambique, his first military experience.

The NRA and the overthrow of Milton Obote

After the contested election of President Milton Obote in 1980, Yoweri Museveni decided to return to his native country to create the NRA (National Resistance Army), a rebellion movement against the regime.

He decided to take up arms when he saw that the election was distorted and that the population was subject to the regime,

 " explains Don Wanyama.

In 1985 Milton Obote was overthrown and in 1986 Yoweri Museveni became president.

The victory of the NRA against Milton Obote is partly due to divisions within the regime and the army

, relativizes the political scientist Frederick Golooba-Mutebi.

High-ranking soldiers organized a first coup in 1985, which gave Yoweri Museveni the opportunity to take power thereafter

 ”

Bobi Wine's family was also involved in the civil war.

“ 

Our grandfather was in the rebellion against Milton Obote

,” says one of the singer's brothers, Bugembe Ivan Ssentamu.

But his commitment cost him his life, so our parents have always asked us to stay very far from politics

 ”.

Bobi Wine grew up in the capital Kampala, in the poor district of Kamwokya, north of the capital.

“ 

We lived in the last house in the ghetto, right next to the beautiful neighborhoods of Kololo,”

says his brother

.

From time to time we went to the rich neighborhoods to sell water and vegetables.

So Bobi grew up observing these two completely different worlds and all these inequalities around us.

 The singer was only three years old when Yoweri Museveni came to power.

He is part of this generation of Ugandans who have known only one head of state.

A government proud of its record

After 35 years in power, President Museveni defends the results of his various mandates.

 Compared to neighboring countries like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda is the most stable country,”

says spokesperson Don Wanyama.

Uganda has become heavily involved in regional affairs, such as in Somalia with the dispatch of military troops.

 "

A campaign poster of the Ugandan president for 35 years in Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, which presents itself once again.

© Lucie Mouillaud / RFI

The country's economic growth is also touted by the presidential party.

Before the global crisis linked to the coronavirus epidemic, GDP was skyrocketing, with an increase of 6% in 2019. “In 

some years, growth has even gone up to 8%.

It is certain that the country is much more industrialized than when the president took power, and that the population lives much better.

But the system of corruption which prevails prevents to fully appreciate the economic possibilities of the country

 ”analyzes Frédérick Golooba-Mutebi.

Bobi Wine, the " 

president of the ghetto

 "

In his speeches, the opponent Bobi Wine often denounces the inequalities linked to corruption.

"

 He started from nothing, which built in him a strong social conscience, which was first reflected in his music,

 " explains the political scientist.

In the 2000s, Bobi Wine indeed began his musical career.

A reggae star, his fans quickly nicknamed him the “

 president of the ghetto 

”, long before the start of his political engagement.

 When we were both in the car, he would constantly tell me about the system of oppression he observed in the neighborhood.

And everything he said to me, he ended up writing it in his songs,

 ”recalls his brother Bugembe Ivan Ssentamu.

Ugandan opponent and singer Bobi Wine is regularly the target of pressure from the Ugandan government.

© REUTERS / James Akena

It was not until 2017 that Bobi Wine stood for the first time in elections and was elected deputy of a district of Kampala.

He decided to get involved in order to have more weight, to carry the voice of populations who grew up like him, and to be able to do more than as a simple singer,

 " says analyst Frédérick Golooba-Mutebi.

An unprecedented duel

Since then, the musician has become a staunch opponent of President Yoweri Museveni's regime.

In August 2018, his driver was shot dead by the Ugandan police, and Bobi Wine was arrested for “ 

treason

 ”.

Released in September 2018, he flew to the United States where he denounced the torture he allegedly suffered during his stay in prison.

The opponent has since been arrested on numerous occasions: the most recent,

on November 18, during a meeting

.

His arrest then sparked riots in the country, which resulted in the death of 54 people.

Listen again to the focus on the challenges of this presidential election in Uganda

Christina okello

The

duel in the polls

between President Yoweri Museveni and Bobi Wine will be unprecedented this Thursday, after several elections where the head of state faced Kizza Besigye, the main opponent of the FDC (forum for democratic change) party.

“ 

Bobi Wine is now the new Besigye, in the sense that he is the new target of the police.

As it is new and more dangerous for the regime, it is more violently attacked than the other older ones on the political scene

 , ”concludes Frédérick Golooba-Mutebi.

►Also read: In Uganda, the authorities are blocking access to social networks two days before the general elections

♦ What about the others?

In addition to outgoing President Yoweri Museveni and Bobi Wine, eight other candidates are running for president.

Patrick Oboi Amuriat in particular, of the FDC, the Forum for Democratic Change.

His party is that of the former main opponent, Kizza Besigye, who has faced the head of state four times at the polls.

Three former senior Ugandan army officers are also campaigning.

The first Mugisha Muntu defends the colors of his party, the ANT (Alliance for a National Transformation).

Former commander of the Ugandan army, he chaired the FDC from 2012 to 2017. Henry Tumukunde is also retired from the Ugandan army.

He was also part of a government of Yoweri Museveni, as Minister of National Security in 2016, before being removed from his post two years later.

Fred Mwesigye, also a former army commander, is also a veteran of rebel groups during the civil war against Milton Obote.

He became a member of parliament in 2011, under the label of the presidential party.

He is now running as an independent.

Norbert Mao is the Democratic Party candidate.

A lawyer by profession, he ran for the 2011 presidential election for the first time. Nancy Kalembe is the only female presidential candidate.

On several occasions, she regretted the lack of funding which partly prevented her from campaigning.

It is also on economic issues that it has focused its meetings, by committing to lowering the national debt and fighting against structural unemployment in the country.

Other candidates are less known to the public.

Like John Katumba, youngest of this election.

At the age of 24, he has just graduated from the business school of the prestigious Makerere University in Kampala.

In his meetings, he works for the youth of the country.

Willy Mayambala is an independent candidate.

In the middle of December, he announced that he was no longer organizing meetings to avoid spreading the Covid-19.

His campaign took place mainly on social networks.

Finally, Joseph Kabuleta is another independent candidate.

A pastor by profession, he declared that he had been "sent by God" to stand for election.

He advocates for a fair distribution of wealth in Uganda, and for the growth figures to be reflected in the lives of the people.

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