Bobi wine has taken a strong stance on sloganeering as his go-to tool for political mobilisation in Uganda, fostered by stories(putting on a fictional crown in his hit song) that sensationalize or promote simplistic explanations of political behavior, glorify or romanticize the decedent.
Whether in courts of law, public rallies, talk shows, the ghetto musicians is always keen to throw his catchy phrases like “twebelelemu”, ” people power”, “ndangamuntu” to capture the imagination of his support base much to the chagrin of season political commentators and analysts.
This is akin to high school and college politics where candidates spew out the most popular catch phrases to capture the mind and imagination of a less bothered electorate.
When asked on Television talk show what his take on Uganda’s fiscal policy would be, Bobi was unable to comprehend the term insisting that as long his supporter for rid if the current regime, non of that would matter anyway.
On his social media platforms, he argued that he would have teams that would deal with such complicated policy issues. He even went on to compose a song based on the travesty, further more denying his fan base an opportunity to hear his plans for them.
He also went on to promise a staggering two million jobs for Ugandans in his first 100 days in office. Not even the largest economy, USA is capable of such a fete. However as is cmon with celebrity popular politics, the means don’t justify the end.
The shift to simplicity veils the details, distracting attention and scrutiny from his inadequacies and lack of political preparedness. It is the politics of “how I look” and the growth of populism a behavior that has also taken on in the western world, not what can “I possibly be able to achieve realistically” given the opportunity.
Those before him have tried similar tactics with no fruition. Former Kampala city mayor, Al Hajji Ssebagala pulled humongous crowds on his return after a stint in USA jail. His reign as mayor can be summarized as abject.
His ineptitude in the English dialect led him to the use of slogans to appeal to his hugely uneducated support base, this limited debate during the campaigns and rendered opposition to his candidature futile to his more elaborate opponents.
Political ideology is a set of related beliefs about political theory and policy held by an individual, a group of individuals or a social class.
Political ideology is important because it forms the basis and justification for political decisions that affect who gets what, when they get it and how they get it.
So Bobi Wine cannot bastardize such a critical component of political science simply because he says that such issues will be sorted when the current regime is gone and his is in power.
And to see that the elites in this country have abandoned their role in politics is how we have ended up here. Many of them have hidden their heads under the sand, thinking themselves above the noise. But the consequence of this is that the idiots have gotten access to an influential platform unchallenged.
The elites have left the game to the rest but they have also been quick in criticism of the regime at every opportunity without particularly offering anything themselves.
Looking good in designer red Berets and overalls is one thing, offering alternative policy is another. Counter revolutionaries need to look beyond capitalising on the frustrations of the youth and vulnerable population for their support.
Such principles alone cannot deliver change in the form that they are promising or that which the current regime has not offered already.
