KAMPALA – When I proposed unity of all forces opposed to dictator Museveni, many members of FDC tried to shame me by insulting my lover. They were deeply offended at my suggestion that Dr. Kizza Besigye become prime minister to Bobi Wine as president. They attacked my sex and sexuality.
Rather than debate and discuss ideas, history, ideologies and concepts, they focussed on my sexual relationship. These dizzy ducks have staggered from calling me a lesbian to sharing pictures of me demonstrating how to use a dildo, and now to the age of my heterosexual lover and our sex life. They have become moral police of my sexuality in attempt to dismiss my ideas about unity of the opposition. They want to project me as a sexually immoral woman; as if this would disqualify my own political opinion.
Okay! Let’s talk about sex, sexualities, sexual relationships and sexual partners of our leaders in the two opposition camps pitted against me. We all know that Bobi Wine is married to his wife Barbie. He wears her tattoo on his heart. They have children, a home and business investments together. We assume that he is a monogamous man. We all know that Bobi loves Barbie and Barbie loves Bobi. Bobi’s sexual mores are transparent.
What do we know about the marital status of Dr Kizza Besigye? Is he married? Is he divorced? Is he single? Is he widowed? Is he cohabitating? Is he polygamous? Who is his sexual partner? Does he have one sexual partner? Does he have two, or three, or even more sexual partners? Does he masturbate when he is alone in his house in Kasangati? Does he do missionary position? Does he do doggie? Does he kiss? Does he like foreplay? Does he do kachabali? Does he like his horn blowed? Does he lick lollipops? Has he ever kissed a man? Has he ever paid for the services of a sex worker? Has he ever had a ménage-a-trois? Is he into BDSM? Does he ever have sex? Or is he indeed a virgin?
The truth is that perhaps, we do not know. The truth is also that, even if we know, it does not matter. It is the private life of these two adults. Whether Bobi Wine or Kizza Besigye are sexually moral, does not matter to us because they are adults. We take their politics seriously. Whether KB and Bobi fuck well or don’t fuck well, we don’t give a fuck because their sexual lives are their private affairs. We instead focus on their political potential as leaders of the opposition in Uganda.
I have never heard anyone in FDC dismissing the party leaders because of their sexual lives. Yet if anyone bothered to look inside the zippers of these individuals, there would be huge scandal – besides the length of their pubic hairs and the quantity of wrinkles on their balls. So why is my party attempting to use my sexual life to dismiss my suggestion of uniting the opposition?
Is it wrong for me to love the father of my unborn child? Is it wrong for me to love the man whose pregnancy I miscarried when I was tortured in prison? Is it wrong for me to love the man who patiently loved and waited for me when I was a prisoner at Luzira Women Prison? Is it wrong for me to love the man who proposed marriage to me? Is it wrong for me to love the man who supports my dreams and aspirations? Is it wrong for me to love my lover and also be actively involved in reimagining a new future for Uganda without dictator Museveni in power? Is it wrong for me to love my lover and also belong to FDC? Is the FDC only full of virgins? Is it only virgins in FDC who are allowed to have opinions that differ from constant praise of the party leaders?
In fact, if sexual purity is the basis of scoring high in the eyes of the FDC party, doesn’t this logic give Bobi Wine moral superiority over Dr Kizza Besigye? After all, according to FDC moral logic, Bobi is married to only one wife, but we are all unsure about who KB has sex with. We don’t even know if he has sex at all. Given this sexual ambiguity and moral opaqueness of KB, Bobi emerges the superior candidate to lead the united forces of change.
The writer, Dr Stella Nyanzi is a former Makerere University researcher