By Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi
Among Africans, if one does not utter a “no”, it means a yes. This is more especially to ladies.
So now that the National Unity Platform President and former Presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu ka Bobi Wine did not say “no” on the swearing in day, Wednesday May 12th at Kololo Independence Grounds, it means that he has conceded defeat.
This is so because, Bobi, after losing presidential elections last January, vowed that President Museveni will never get sworn in and many of his supporters believed so. However, the ceremony went well smoothly without hearing any comment from the man from Magere.
Even when police surrounded his home in anticipation of a possible defiance, Bobi had already sneaked out and is not known where he is. It was the same with Dr. Kizza Besigye, whose home at Kasangati was surrounded when he was out of the country, according to what he twitted.
The security forces had deployed heavily in Kampala Business District to ensure that the swearing ceremony, foreign and local dignitaries are not harmed by would be violent and bloody rioters. But they were no where to be seen and the 50 people rounded up were imaginary but not real potential rioters.
Other inno0cent victims were bodaboda operators especially those that were riding after 06.00 pm in defiance of the curfew. In recent weeks, police have been lenient with them but not on Tuesday.
There was a dream of a foreign force to invade the country and bar President Yoweri Museveni from seeking a sixth term and impose or declare Bobi Wine President of Uganda. But the dream never came true.
Instead, the President started getting congratulation messages from some of the Western powers including France and Germany and later the United Nations Secretary General himself.
Although USA and UK did not congratulate the winner, but there aid especially in areas of health, defence, has increased, a show of a sign of confidence they have in the government of Uganda.
So, one wonders that after Bobi has conceded defeat through inaction, what next for one of the most popular Kampala singers? Practically, he should be accompanying NUP MPs for swearing in ceremonies at Parliament Building starting on Monday which will take three days.
He should also be preparing to convene a NUP NEC meeting for election of a Leader of Opposition, appointment of shadow ministers and chairpersons of parliamentary oversight committees.
Bobi can also accompany his or NUP councilors on Local Government Councils in most parts of Buganda Region where they won.
Sources close to him say that he is praying for disqualification of Kawempe North MP Muhammad Sseggiriinya so that he stands in the bye election and if he wins, then he assumes the title of Leader of Opposition in Government.
However, according to experts in political strategies, Sseggiriinya is not likely to lose his seat soon despite the case filed by a former independent candidate Sulaiman Kidandala, as such cases frag on and even if ruled by Uganda High Court, there is a room for appealing to Uganda Court of Appeal.
Bobi Wine and his supporters used to claim that Dr. Kizza Besigye and President Yoweri Museveni are secret allies, as they are former Historicals in the five-year bush war, hail from Rukungiri or former Mprororo kingdom, speak one language, among others.
According to Bobi and his supporters, strategically, one is a President and another is a president in waiting in order to deny other Ugandans a chance. This created a fertile ground for the rapid rise of Bobi Wine and NUP and FDC declined the way independence parties; DP and UPC declined.
However, conspiracy theories now have it that President Museveni feared his bush war generals; Kizza Beisgye, Mugisha Muntu and Henry Tumukunde and created Bobi Wine to fill the vacuum and that is why he has gone quiet.
With such theories, a new Opposition will emerge to prepare for 2026 general elections whether NRM fields President Yoweri Museveni or his successor.
Haji Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi is a veteran journalist and a Communications Assistant with Ministry of ICT and National Guidance Digital Unit.
