KAMPALA – A cross section of Ugandans has accused National Unity Platform (NUP) party president of promoting tribalism following his remarks at a rally in Luweero District on Friday.
In his remarks at the weekend, Bobi Wine accused President Museveni and the ruling NRM party of grabbing people’s land in Buganda and displacing the natives.
But the remarks have since kicked of storm, with some condemning him for resurrecting tribal sentiments in the country while others defended him for what they describe as speaking the truth.
The executive director of the Uganda Media Centre, Mr Ofwono Opondo, said Bobi Wine’s remarks should not be coming from a leader.
“Ordinarily it doesn’t serve much useful purpose engaging in chauvinistic diatribe, but Kyagulanyi, president of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, message last Friday to a crowd in Luweero town on his country tour stop over shouldn’t go unexamined,” he said.
Hudu Hussein, a resident district commissioner, urged NUP leaders to rein in on Bobi Wine.
“We expect people like Mathias Mpuga, Merdard Ssegona, Abed Bwanika and others to reign over Hon Kyagulanyi and tell him that where he is taking this country is where we were before. We may take this for granted, but people sacrificed a lot for this country,” he added.
Captain Mike Mukula, the NRM vice chairperson Eastern region, said: “I see a dangerous trend in our politics emerging of hate campaigns against one another in our country, I appeal to all our political leaders to employ decorum and humility in the manner of lingua being dispensed, Political hygiene is mature politics-Genocidal politics is suicidal in Africa.”
But Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, a lecturer at Makerere University and writer, said: “The easiest way to settle the tribalism accusations is to conduct a public institutions audit to tell us how different parts of Uganda are represented. You would think that this would exonerate those who say they are falsely accused, but they resist the suggestion still!”
Simon Kaggwa Njala, a journalist, said, “Well, the country is now consumed by tribal card politics debate. There’d be some good & bad in it. How far it goes should be our worry. How we got here sh’d also be concerning. How we get out of it MUST be our business. We need a national dialogue to heal this nation. Urgently!”
Rosebell Kagumire, an activist, tweeted: “We even have a charge of sectarianism reserved for silencing such debate/talk. Let them counter this if they see it as false, provide details of how the National cake or whatever is left of it is being distributed beyond few figure heads and talking heads.”
David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP Secretary General said: “For some reason, some NRM apologists think that using strong language to address their ruler is worse than abducting, torturing, illegally detaining and murdering our people with impunity. SMH”
Bobi Wine on Sunday stuck to his remarks. “They openly practice tribalism and nepotism in every sphere and institution, but they’re not ashamed to blame those who expose it and call them out. What a bunch of hypocrites!”
