{UAH} Who is Bobi Wine

*By Wire James wirejames.com*

To many, Bobi Wine is a new entrant in the arena of standing up for the people. His career as a musician, a bad boy who openly advocated for drugs at one time as well as the petty fights he used to have with fellow musicians threw him in the limelight for largely the wrong reasons.

However, as he matured, his musical journey started taking on a more serious route of addressing the plight of the suffering through music.Anyone who has bothered to listen to songs he released over the last five years will agree with me that they exuded a loud message about the need to help the powerless.

What begun as mere singing about the people's plight eventually became a conviction too big for him to bear. It is this conviction that saw him make a move for a seat in the Parliament of Uganda.

Today, the entire country (save for a few people) is in shock at the way he was handled in Arua and his subsequent incarceration. All of a sudden, some of those that cheered him on are criticising him for having among others rushed to challenge the presidency.

However, it is time we asked ourselves, Who is Bobi Wine?

Bobi Wine is that Lawyer who when called upon to help secure bond for arrested activists drops all he's doing and rushes to the Police Station without charging a fee. He further represents them in court as they battle the trumped up charges until they eventually get justice.

Bobi Wine is that URA employee who is aggrieved by the coverups of tax being done for a connected few and is so hurt deep inside that he/she starts collecting evidence for possible future prosecution.

Bobi Wine is that patient who is suffering from Cancer and upon going to Mulago hospital for treatment, a bribe is asked before he/she can access what is meant to be a free service. As a result he/she may die due to lack of money to bribe.

Bobi Wine is that son or daughter with a critically ill patient in hospital that needs blood only to be lied to that there is no blood. A few hours later, the patient dies. He/She later realises that all they had to do was part with UGX 100,000 for a pint of blood that is meant to be free.

Bobi Wine is that slum dweller who has not known anything about decent accommodation or living. Has spent years without end battling authorities that breakdown his home for one reason or another. Has embraced disease and filth as part of life. Has been repeatedly fed with lies during campaigns only to see nothing materialise.

Bobi Wine is that peasant whose life is characterised by misery. A peasant who has been conditioned to believe that nothing good can come his way. A peasant who has been denied access to decent medical facilities. A peasant whose bumper harvest always translates to more poverty. A peasant who sells their vote for UGX 500. That peasant has finally woken up and decided that enough is enough.

Bobi Wine is that citizen going through alot of pain and suffering, earning very little yet spending very much. He/She is perpetually in debt. As they tune the TV, they are reassured how the economy is developing very fast as evidenced by the various concrete structures mushrooming across the city. Thanks to the proceeds of the massive unfettered corruption that give a semblance of economic activity. This citizen knows it and has realised that enough is enough.

Bobi Wine is that local businessman who has tried all it takes to run a decent legitimate business only to be sidelined and see red carpets being laid out for "foreign investors" that reach here and set up barber shops. Investors that act as conduits and figureheads for corrupt government officials. Investors that fleece the economy and deposit their proceeds out of the country.

Bobi Wine is that Teacher who realises the fruitless ride this country has been taken on for long. He then starts teaching his pupils or students to stand up against impunity, corruption and other societal vices being perpetrated by the all powerful elite.

Bobi Wine is that Engineer that notices the massive inflation of costs in a project he has oversight on. He chooses not to sign the required approvals and the project stalls until that money is removed.

Bobi Wine is that citizen who sees his health centre in the village lacking basics like cleaning equipment, mattresses, beds, soap, a toilet etc and mobilises his fellow residents to sort out the problems of this health centre.

Bobi Wine is that individual that sees government facilities being transformed into private property and quickly stands up to fight against the move.

Bobi Wine is that guy who walks into an interview only to be booted simply because he/she doesn't come from a particular region of the country.

Bobi Wine is that person who gets excited about the prospect of Uganda achieving Middle Income Status by 2020 only to be told that a few districts will be the ones attaining that. The frustration that comes with having his/her mind being played with!!!!

Bobi Wine is that parent whose daughter is among those that were killed when women's lives seemed not to matter only to learn later that it was a syndicate by the very security forces that are meant to protect our lives.

Bobi Wine is that Boda Boda rider whose bike gets forcefully taken by BodaBoda 2010 vigilantes never to be seen again and he still has to service the boda boda loan.

Bobi Wine is that elder who is still waiting nearly twenty years later for justice over the Mukura massacre that saw his friends, relatives and children lose their lives under nazi style conditions.

Bobi Wine is that Acholi family whose family land was taken away from them by a highly connected and ruthless army General that went ahead to kill some of the family members.

Bobi Wine is that person who hears that a neighbour's husband was arrested for protesting and goes ahead to help the wife with support in form of food, school fees or even accessing justice.

Bobi Wine is that blogger who out of frustration decides to say it as it is in order to highlight the plight of the suffering masses.

Bobi Wine is that civil servant who writes a report aimed at preventing their employer from making a loss only for him/her to be sacked from the job.

I could go on and on but just like you have seen, if you aren't satisfied with the status-quo and believe strongly that something has to give way to change, then you too are Bobi Wine. The only difference is that your spark hasn't yet lit up. For Bobi, his is already lit.

Any one with the delusion that killing Bobi Wine will stem the tide of change going on is lying to themselves. Many Ugandans are already Bobi Wines. I am a Bobi Wine, you are a Bobi Wine, we all cant be killed and even if we were, our children will carry on the spirit.

#FreeBobiWine
#PeoplePower
#OurPower

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