TO SAVE A MARTYR — AFRICA’S YOUNG REVOLUTIONARY BOBI WINE & THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM ON THE BLACK CONTINENT
Because it’s easy to see who deserves flowers but all too often we give them to those who are no longer around to smell them.
When you think of politics in Africa what comes to mind? Is it dictatorship, ridiculous amounts of political parties, coups, social injustices and warlords whose unspeakable atrocities against their own people are so evil that they’re often believed to be urban myths? Perhaps it’s more enamored visions and thoughts of resiliency, revolution and reverence. I believe that if any of the following come to mind when you think of African politics you wouldn’t be wrong but I also believe that if you grew up or studied in the West, that your correlation with African politics would much closer align with the former.
How often do we place our unconscious biases, opinions, skewed perspectives that were painted and force-fed through subpar means of education and conditioned ways of thinking aside? Are we willing to trade them in for tools of enlightenment, knowledge and facts when thinking about the political climate and systems of Africa, the most diverse place on earth? Africa all too often is seen and spoken about as if it were a monolith instead of a large body of 54 individually sovereign nation states, with so much depth, culture, diversity and complexities when it comes to their history and series of events that make up their governmental systems.
Africa is a continent of over a billion people, yet questions of underdevelopment, malgovernance and a form of political life based on patronage are characteristics of many African states. One can’t even begin to comprehend the immense complexities when it comes to politics in Africa without first examining the past. History tells us the answers to a lot of question we have today by laying out events, factors and byproducts that both directly and indirectly contribute to the current state of things as we know it. You can see the true value in understanding history by appraising and examining post-colonial political structures, the impact of colonialism, the form and nature of post-colonial states, as well as the affects of neocolonialism today. There are many contrasts when it comes to the level of political strife or struggle each country is subjected to or has had to endure from country to country and region to region. Only when exploring the historical and contemporary factors that account for Africa’s underdevelopment will you then also discover why some African countries suffer from high levels of political violence, while others are seemingly sparred. No matter how you look at it, many parts of Africa currently still practice ideologies and political systems that yield extreme amounts of hostility, counter-productivity and are unconducive to nation building and sustainable development.
However, amongst the burning rubble and charred ashes of the hardships of reality when it comes to the current state of some African nations, there often rises a voice from the crowd. A voice that trembles but is loud with hope and a powerful agenda for change. A revolutionary. Every country at some point has had a figure, a shining beacon of light that was admired for their courage in the face of unfathomable adversity. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Patrice Lumumba of Congo, Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, Samora Machel of Mozambique, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and Robert Ssentamu, otherwise known as Bobi Wine of Uganda amongst countless others. The fight for liberation on the African continent is a longstanding one and did not begin with Sudan gaining its independence in 1956 from their European masters, nor did it end with South Sudan gaining its independence from Sudan in 2011. This interesting juxtaposition is what still plagues Africa today. Colonization introduced and infused certain perverted concepts and ideologies that have never been erased. Due to decades of conditioning, even after decolonization these supremacist ways of thinking were only passed on and passed down through blood and transfers of power.
“O GOD, WHERE ART THOU?’
I’d like to take a moment to shed some light on the Central-East African nation of Uganda, a young man by the name of Bobi Wine and the long but interesting history of events that have led up to what’s currently going on in this country today.
Uganda is a country completely landlocked by 5 other African nations. It has a population of just over 44 million people and is diverse in ethnic tribes, language and religion. Beginning in 1894, the area was ruled as a protectorate by the UK, which established administrative law across the territory. Uganda gained independence from the UK on October 9th 1962. The period since then has been marked by violent conflicts and crimes against humanity, including an eight-year-long reign of terror and military dictatorship led by one of the most infamous leaders the world has ever seen in Idi Amin.
General Idi Amin ruled Uganda from 1971 to 1979, after seizing power by way of a military coup on January 25, 1971. He was nicknamed Kijambiya, which means “the machete” for his short temper and swift but calculated decision-making. He was a complex and interesting man from his indoctrination and rise through the ranks of the British Colonial Army in Uganda to his shift from being pro-Western to aligning and pushing the idealisms of Pan-Africanism. However, he will always most be remembered as a man of grave evil as his rule was characterized by rampant human rights abuses, including political repression, ethnic persecution and extrajudicial killings. An estimated 80,00–500,000 Ugandans lost their lives during his regime. The Ugandan-Tanzania War of 1979 also known as the 1979 Liberation War by Ugandans, was the catalyst that later led to the overthrow and exile of Idi Amin. The war was fought over territorial land that lied between Uganda and Tanzania known as Kagera Salient. Like many conflicts in Africa that eventually lead to wars, the enemy comes in many different forms. Sometimes they are seen as opposing ethnic groups, the citizens of a nation in totality or foreign government/military and other times they are unseen like ideologies, religion, greed and fear.
There was more civil unrest and turmoil that followed even after the exile of Idi Amin. Yet another war began from 1980 until 1986 (See Ugandan Bush War). Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s current president followed in the footsteps of his predecessor Idi Amin and overthrew then President Milton Obote and the Ugandan government in 1986 to become the self-proclaimed leader of the African nation. He would rule with the iron fist of a dictator well into the next 3 decades. Museveni would also disregard the country’s governmental structure which although was a presidential republic was supposed to function based on a democratic multi-party parliamentary system. Museveni was heavily celebrated by Western countries in the late 80’s and early 90’s and was seen as being a part of a new generation of African leaders. He was even invited to the White House to speak with President Ronald Reagan in 1987.
Nevertheless, amidst all of the high hopes, expectations and his good intentions like Amin his vision was eventually clouded by corruption and the inclination to cling to power. Numerous events marred Museveni’s presidency but none greater than his invasion of the Democratic Republic of Congo during the Second Congo War, which resulted in and estimated 5.4 million deaths since 1998. Museveni has either initiated or supported several amendments to the relatively progressive Ugandan constitution (adopted in 1995), which has been the sole reason for the longevity of his rule of power. He started his assault on the constitution by removing presidential term limits in 2005. He had coerced the parliament into voting to return to a multiparty system. This was simply a bargaining chip to remove term limits all together. Furthermore, Museveni went on to later scrap the presidential age limit in 2017. The culmination of these actions and his oppressive reign has set a fire for change in the hearts of the youth of Uganda.
THE BIRTH AND RISE OF A LIVING LEGEND
Robert Ssentamu, better known by his stage name Bobi Wine was born on February 12, 1982 in Nkozi, Uganda. He grew up in the Kamwookya slum in the northeastern part of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. His upbringing and experiences as a second-class citizen in his own country would later set ablaze his soul to want to be the change that his people so desperately needed. Bobi Wine has a very diverse background and has always been an ambitious young man with vision. He studied music in college and later went back to university to study law at the International University of East Africa. Bobi had a natural affinity for music and his love for music gave birth to a career in the early 2000’s. His music has made him a household name in his home country and a superstar across Africa. It has been characterized as reggae, dancehall, and afrobeat with a heavy social conscious message. He’s often been called the Jay-Z of Uganda for his pioneer, influence and longevity in music.
Despite his massively successful music career, in 2017 at the age of 35 Bobi Wine decided that he was tired of simply watching others who were highly disconnected from the struggles and reality of his people to dictate the future of his country. He announced his candidacy for parliament in a by-election for Kyadondo County East constituency. Bobi won by a huge margin, undeniably due to the large amount of youth who showed up by the masses to vote. The irony in all of this is that Uganda boasts the title of the youngest population in the world; with over 80% of Ugandans below the age of 35, this was also the length of President Museveni’s tenure and the age of Bobi Wine at the time of his political campaign and induction into Parliament in 2017.
COST OF DOING BUSINESS
Bobi fully committed to his political career and aware of his newfound purpose gained even more traction and fame in 2018 as he helped to champion the victories of other by-elections (parliament) and candidates he campaigned for. His political career thus far has been a tumultuous one filled with adversity in forms of speech/media censorship, intrusion, false accusations, illegal imprisonment and violence against him and his associates ordered by Museveni’s government and military.
In August of 2018 Museveni’s motorcade was allegedly obstructed and pelted with stones by supporters of then candidate for parliament Kassiano Wadri. This altercation eventually led to more violence between protestors and the local security forces/police. Wine would later take to social media to further explain the incident where the police had intentionally shot at his vehicle, killing his driver in the process. The following day he would be arrested and charged for inciting violence and unlawful possession of firearms. Bobi who was later brought before a military court was reported by numerous media outlets to have appeared beaten and in need of urgent medical attention. The government denied all allegations of torture. However, due to intense scrutiny by the media and heated discussions within the Ugandan Parliament, the Ugandan State prosecution withdrew the charges. He would later be arrested and charged yet again but this time for treason by a civilian court. Bobi was released on bail in September of 2018 and traveled to the United States for medical treatment due to his injuries sustained during police custody.
Wine would be charged, arrested and detained by authorities multiple times in 2019 for reasons ranging from intent to alarm, annoy or ridicule President Museveni to leading protests without prior authorization. It wasn’t until the intervention of Amnesty International via a statement released on May 3, 2019, which demanded the immediate release of Bobi Wine and urged the Ugandan government “to stop misusing the law in a shameless attempt to silence him for criticizing the government.”
HEAVY IS THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN
On July 22, 2019 Wine announced that he had joined the National Unity Platform party, which showcased a motto stating, “People power, our power” that can be seen on the red beret that often adorns the head of Wine. He was elected the party’s president and presidential flag-bearer for the upcoming election. Shortly after on July 24, 2019 Bobi Wine formally announced his bid to run for president in the 2021 general election. It was at this moment that all eyes of the incumbent government really started to take Bobi extremely serious as the man that could possibly bring an end to Museveni’s reign. On November 6, 2020 Wine gave his campaign manifesto in western Uganda, instead of his party headquarters location due to state operatives cordoning off the area.
Wine was arrested in eastern Uganda amidst his 200 supporters on November 18, 2020 and accused of defying Electoral Commissions guidelines against large gatherings set in place to contain the spread of Covid. His arrest was met by wide spread civil unrest and subsequent protests. Over 2000 people were incarcerated and 50–100 people were murdered in the streets, along with hundreds more injured. After casting his vote for the presidential election, Bobi Wine was placed under house arrest. The next day on January 16, 2021 the Electoral Commission announced that General Museveni had won the election and secured his sixth term with 58.6% of the vote. Wine made it known that it was arguably the most fraudulent election in Uganda’s history. Bobi even took to Twitter on January 30, 2020 to showcase receipts of election result tally sheets that allude to the fact that Museveni did not win the recent election with fairness or transparency. Bobi reiterated that Museveni’s entire tenure has been a dictatorship parading under the guise of democracy.
Bobi Wine has representation from Nigerian human rights lawyer Femi Falana, who filed a complaint on his behalf to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Arrest, regarding his continued house arrest. This filing eventually led to the Ugandan High Court ruling on January 26, 2020, declaring that his confinement was illegal and unconstitutional. Currently Bobi Wine is still under house arrest with his wife and her18-month-old niece. They have stated that they have ran out of food and water, yet no one is allowed to leave or enter his residency, as police and military have surrounded the premises to ensure this. Even the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie E. Brown was turned away and prevented from visiting Bobi on January 18, 2021.
“More than flowers he deserves our unconditional support and uncompromised attention. If there is one thing I hope to accomplish, I hope to save yet another martyr.”
Social media is the only bridge of communication that Bobi Wine has with the outside world and with all of his supporters internationally. For he knows and has always known what’s at stake for Uganda, all of Africa and for history. Within Bobi flows the spirit of all the Revolutionaries who preceded him. He is just another curator of the dream of the “African Renaissance” that Cheikh Anta Diop of Senegal once wrote about. The world must know his story and through these lines I seek to enlighten and to bring awareness to the ongoing and developing situation in Uganda. More than flowers Bobi Wine deserves our unconditional support and uncompromised attention. If there is one thing I hope to accomplish, I hope to save yet another martyr.
