Share this article

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine, the president of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, has come under scrutiny for comments made during a rally in Luweero District. Ugandans criticized him for promoting tribalism in the country. The executive director of the Uganda Media Centre, Mr. Ofwono Opondo, questioned Bobi Wine’s leadership, urging restraint in tribal rhetoric.

A cross section of Ugandans have accused National Unity Platform (NUP) party president of promoting tribalism following his remarks at a rally in Luweero District on Friday 8^th September 2023.

But the remarks have since kicked up 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 City commissioner of Masaka district, urged NUP leaders to rein in on Bobi Wine.

“We expect people like Mathias Mpuga, Medard 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.”