Buganda Kingdom Takes A Stand Against Bobi Wine’s Divisive Rhetoric
Kampala| FileFactsUg
The Buganda Kingdom has had enough of the National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine. He has always used Ben Kiwanuka’s divisive rhetoric to blackmail and manipulate the Kingdom, and it looks like it is time to put a novice politician in his place.
Buganda’s stand on Bobi’s sympathy card was echoed by Prince David Kintu Wasajja, a brother to Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II during the last funeral rites of the late Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, who led the Democratic Party for decades and the staunch opposition leader on January 18, 2025, at Busiro.
As a keynote speaker amid opposition politicians including Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, the newly appointed Bobi Wine deputy president of Buganda, David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP Secretary General, and Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu, the NUP leader of mobilization, Prince Wasajja rebuked Bobi’s common narrative, claiming that Buganda didn’t support him reportedly as it shunned Ben Kiwanuka.
However, the prince emphasized that the late Ssemogerere, a close friend of Ben Kiwanuka, never uttered such words because he was not a creeper like politicians of now days.
“There is a common talk often by politicians. They often say you remember Ben Kiwanuka…Buganda did not support Ben Kiwanuka bluh bluh… the highly respectable late Ssemogerere never uttered words like that,” Prince Wasajja said.
Prince Wasajja describes Ssemogerere as a unifier, unlike many politicians who use this narrative to divide people.
“The Hon. Ssemogerere was a unifier. That is a serious issue because many politicians always talk such words,” he said. He notes that those who invoke this talk are not genuine supporters of the Democratic Party (DP) and may have ulterior motives.
“Others are not even members of the Democratic Party, but always say Buganda did not support Ben Kiwanuka yet Hon. Ssemogerere who was Ben Kiwanuka’s close friend never said it at all, and it is a fact nobody knew Ben Kiwanuka than Ssemogerere,” Prince Wasajja explained.
He asserted his point, “Therefore, some people just jump onto these things in a naïve manner, even when their intentions are not good for DP. I want you to keenly watch all those who often say that Ben was betrayed, and tell me what they have done for DP, and what they wish it.”
He stressed, “These people with such a talk, they do not wish DP well, they do not wish Buganda Kingdom well. However, Hon. Ssemogerere was not like that. Since 1966, Owek. Ssemogerere was a friend to the King [Kabaka], and the King treasures unity among his subjects.”
To this end, Prince Wasajja reminded people “the King told us to avoid divisive politics among our people, nor turning politics into a physical fight. We should listen to each other, even when you disagree on issues, it should not be turned into a war.”
Giving Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago as an example of politicians who agree to disagree with others, the Prince asserted, “we need tolerant politics in Buganda.”
“Where we are headed, we shall need calmness and unity and we still have a big job of undoing hate, and ignorance that some politicians want to sow in Buganda, and dividing our people which even the late Ssemogerere never believed in. We shall forever recall him for being a unifier,” Prince Wasajja said.
Prince added, “We have a big task of building unity which unity will propel us to all our goals, and these were the aspirations of the late Ssemogerere.”
Prince David’s speech was speaking directly to the NUP leader Bobi Wine who has often likened himself to Ben Kiwanuka, the founder of the Democratic Party (DP) who was disappeared by the regime in the 1960s never to be seen again to this date.
Prince Speaking Directly To Bobi Wine
Bobi has variously accused the leaders of Buganda Kingdom today of betraying his ambitions to win the presidency yet he is Muganda by tribe that needs unquestioned support from the Kingdom.
During a thanksgiving party, he organized for the ex-Katikkiro Dan Muliika on October 18th, 2024 in Lubaga division, Bobi called himself a replica of Ben Kiwanuka.
“Owekitiibwa Muliika, when the King was away in Namibia, I was doing the right thing of calling upon people to demand his whereabouts, but the Buganda officials branded us Buganda enemies. In this era, I am the Ben Kiwanuka who was betrayed.” Bobi said.
In March 2024 whilst at the burial of the late Omutaka Bossa Lomwa’s burial, a tough-talking Bobi pulled out his blackmail Bem Kiwanuka talk. “Putting the 60-year-old history behind us, let us talk about this, today the whole country supports us [me] change, but Buganda is still the problem” because of Abebitiibwa.”
He added, “whenever I go [other regions], they tell me it is the Baganda who brought the whites here…we had a chance to lead Uganda, but it was the Baganda who conspired against Ben Kiwanuka and took Obote him in King’s palace at Bamunanika leaving Ben who started a Buganda party and the rest is history.”
He had made similar statements while in Luweero district in September 2023 during his heavily worded speech, which he used to blatantly attack leaders in Buganda Kingdom and religious institutions across all sects.
Contravenes Ganda Customs
While at Muliika’s party, defiant Bobi announced Nubian Li from the Nubian community, Lewis Rubongoya (Ankole) Waiswa Mufumbiro (Busoga), and Barbie Itungo (Ankole) as Baganda, emphasizing Buganda is a nation, not a tribe. He also rebuked those describing LoP Joel Ssenyonyi as a Muluuli.
“I also want to tell you that Buganda is not a tribe. Buganda is a nation. Omuganda is seen from his/her behaviors. King Muteesa had his friend Daudi Ocheng who had emerged as a Muganda because of his behavior and friendship with King Muteesa. King Mutebi appointed Muhamood Toban, an Indian as a Minister, he also became a Muganda.” Bobi said.
In typical mimicking of the King, Bobi said, “In the same line, I also have my buddies; [Waiswa] Mufumbiro, [Lewis] Rubongoya, Nubian Li, Barbie Itungo, I am announcing to be Baganda. It has not been started by me, but the Kings.”
King Speaks
On 31st July 2024 while celebrating 31 years on the throne, the King rebuked clan chiefs and politicians, including Bobi, for staging disrespecting online, and physical protests at Namibian embassies in varied countries disguised as love for the King. He ordered subjects to disassociate from disruptive individuals.
Still, on July 31st, the King asserted that in the known cultural values and norms, the Kabaka is at liberty to either “create or veto certain norms depending on the situations in a given generation.”