Ex-MP Munyagwa Attacks Bobi Wine’s Leadership, Praises Besigye’s Maturity

Veteran opposition activist and former Kawempe South MP Mubarak Munyagwa has criticized Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), for lacking mature leadership skills.

Speaking on a Kampala radio station, Munyagwa compared Bobi Wine unfavorably to Dr. Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, who led the opposition for 20 years through the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

“Bobi Wine has no capacity to play mature leadership. Besigye knew how to play mature politics. Muwanga Kivumbi and colleagues supported Amama Mbabazi in 2016, and Muwanga himself abused Besigye during a meeting that sat until late in the night. But when Besigye was canvassing for support, when he reached Butambala in a rally, Muwanga, who was supporting Mbabazi, went running to his [Besigye] vehicle, and because Besigye was mature, he embraced him despite knowing that Muwanga was supporting Mbabazi,” Munyagwa said.

Munyagwa praised Besigye’s ability to work with others, even those with differing views.

“Besigye was always a strong and national leader, and whenever he reached Buganda, he always supported people in opposition, even those from other political parties in the interest of the wider cause,” giving examples like Nambooze and Muwanga Kivumbi.

It is worth remembering that in 2016, Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze, a renowned social climber, survived lynching by angry FDC supporters when she struggled to make a U-turn to attend a massive rally by Kizza Besigye at Mukono after realizing that Mbabazi lacked support, leading her to retain her MP position.

Munyagwa also highlighted Besigye’s relationship with former Kampala Woman MP Nabilah Naggayi, saying, “Besigye had no working relationship with Nabilah, but he always left her to freely join his campaign trail whenever he campaigned in Kampala, which always made her successful.”

In contrast, Munyagwa believes Bobi Wine lacks a crucial trait of distinguishing between the bigger struggle against Museveni and petty fights.

“Hon Kyagulanyi lacks a crucial trait of distinguishing between a bigger struggle against Museveni and petty fights. He needs to learn how serious leaders on a national cause behave and react to bigger causes than trivialities.”

Munyagwa’s comments come amid tensions within the opposition since his arrival on the political scene, with Bobi Wine having clashed with several opposition politicians, including Besigye, who had spent 20 years in an aggressive fight against Museveni. Bobi spent his initial political life, which only started in late 2017, undermining Besigye’s undoubted contribution to Uganda’s opposition to an extent that he accused him of being Museveni’s pawn, who was duping Ugandans that he was a genuine opposition supporter.

After the 2021 elections, Bobi embarked on fighting his own NUP MPs and officials from cultural institutions, including the Buganda Kingdom officials, led by Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga and the Kabaka himself, who were on his hit list.

He accused the Buganda Kingdom of undermining his struggle against Museveni, affirming that people from all other regions in Uganda supported him, only to be pulled down by Buganda, where he hails, even though it is in Buganda where he enjoys recognizable support.

He also attacked the religious institution leaders, whom he accused of being quiet when several injustices were being committed against Ugandans by Museveni, whom he said always bribes them.

After the cultural and religious leaders, Kyagulanyi launched a protracted war against the ex-LoP Mathias Mpuuga, whom he has fought for the last many months under the guise of fighting corruption.