BOBI WINE IS THE FACE OF HOPE TO THE FORGOTTEN IN UGANDA – Hillary Taylor
By Yomi Oyelami, Trek Africa Newspaper
L-R: ROBERT KYAGULANYI SSENTAMU, popularly known as Bobi Wine, Presidential Candidate in Uganda and HILLARY TAYLOR, Human Rights Advocate/Global Youth Ambassador.
* Berates sitting President, ‘Despot Museveni is the number one problem of Uganda’
* Ugandan Human Rights Advocate describes the task to save Uganda as ‘our constitutional duty’
‘Bobi Wine is the face of hope and courage to the forgotten men and women of Uganda who are the majority. He has used his music which is about social justice, his charisma and ability to marshal popular support from Ugandans of all generations. He is now leading a revolution under the National Unity Platform (NUP) umbrella to end 35 years of military dictatorship in Uganda. Bobi Wine has changed the dynamics of our political arena and has encouraged youth to actively engage in this struggle to liberty’ were the words of Ugandan human rights advocate, Hillary Taylor to describe the perception and popularity of Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, NUP’s presidential candidate among the teeming Ugandan population especially in the recent elections in the East African country.
Liberian President, George Manneh Weah
The Global Youth Ambassador Ugandan youth advocate and Harvard graduate shared his thoughts on the theme, ‘Bobi Wine, Uganda and rise of the African Youth’ in a thrilling intellectual conversation with Abayomi Oyelami on popular micro-blogging platform, Twitter on Thursday, 4th February, 2021. Known as #Reminisense the #TweetChat series, the weekly conversation engages personalities from different spheres to discuss constructively about moving Africa sprightly forward every Tuesday at 6pm GMT (1pm EST). The chat with Hillary Taylor was a special edition being the first ever to be held outside a Tuesday.
HILLARY TAYLOR, Human Rights Advocate/Global Youth Ambassador
Popularly known by his stage name Bobi Wine, the globally-celebrated Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has gone ahead to the courts to contest the validity of the victory of sitting President, Yoweri Museveni. It should be noted that 76-year-old Museveni is one of the longest-serving presidents in Africa having spent 35 years in office. Yet, he has extended his stay by winning a 6th term in a controversial election that is widely considered fraught with irregularities. He had earlier removed presidential term limits in 2005 and presidential age limit in 2017, two attempts that Mr. Taylor described as ‘our Constitution has been raped more than twice and it now looks like words on mere pieces of paper’ by ‘Despot Museveni’ in order to perpetuate himself in the office.
Most Ugandans, especially the youths, have filed behind and are drumming support for Bobi Wine whom they claim won the election by popular majority. They are vociferously saying ‘change will be ushered in Uganda without a gun’. Many youths, even those not members of the National Unity Platform (NUP), now carry the mantra ‘People Power, Our Power’ on their personal profiles on social media. The International Community is also engaging in peace building and advocacy to ensure that the fragile calm in Uganda does not degenerate.
In his advice to youths, Mr. Hillary Taylor established that one does not necessarily have to be a footballer like Liberian President, George Manneh Weah or a musician like Robert ‘Bobi Wine’ Kyagulanyi Ssentamu in order to garner widespread public support. His advice, ‘one does not have to be popular to be able to create an impact anywhere. The two figures [George Weah and Bobi Wine] you have mentioned are not superhuman, they are free thinking individuals like the rest of us. As African youth, we need to change our mindset, rise up, unite and organize ourselves to disrupt the status quo of our continent for a better one. We need courage, resilience and sacrifice. A threat to one’s country is a threat to the entire continent. Let’s act now and carry our seats to the table and dismantle the remaining club of African autocrats.’
It should be rehashed that Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu who is the current Member of Parliament for Kyadondo County East constituency, Wakiso District, Central Region in Uganda was only 4 years old when H. E. Yoweri Museveni assumed the office of President but the no. 1 man in the East African country has decided to sit down, sit tight since 1986.
