Fame and Popularity Don’t Qualify You as a Good Leader

“About a year ago we elected a government with the hope that economically, our lives would be transformed," Kortu Brown, President of the Umbrella Christian Group said on a local radio station.

The recent times have seen famous personalities from different entertainment spheres, sports, comedy, and music among others run for political positions. The advantage of being famous has been used well and embraced by some individuals to rise to political positions. Gaining an election vote is very easy for these celebrities because they are famous and the social media platforms put them everywhere like Coca-Cola ads.

In Liberia, the 2017 elections saw the once world greatest footballer, George Weah rise to the position of the President, two years later his government was being criticized all over the country and this showed politics and governance isn’t a football pitch, a much bigger arena which requires a variety of knowledge of political, social, economic and military, George Weah's Government failed Liberia mostly economically.

Back home, in Uganda Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu also embraced this opportunity and rose to become the Member of Parliament for Kyadondo East in the 10th parliament of Uganda. Analyzing his achievements for this constituency you will definitely end at small percentage or none at all compared to his predecessors, not because he was in opposition but because he lacked the political experience and knowledge.

 

Bobi Wine during his term as a member of parliament, maintained his street mannerisms and aggressiveness. He lived for fame as a celebrity not a legislator, he didn’t understand the platform he was given of national importance, and perhaps he understood it as another stage to do his performance not in the ghetto world but in the corporate world.

It was because of the ingress of such personalities in the parliament of Uganda that the 10th parliament went down into books as a parliament of chaos. We all recall the "Togyikatako" campaign, and how Bobi Wine and his NUP members of parliament reacted, and the greatest house on the land was invaded by hooligans. Members of Parliament and some ministers exchanging words and blows street style, was all because of Bobi Wine's influence.

Fame and Popularity compelled him to run for the highest office in the country. With the help of funding from anti NRM Government groups within the country and in diaspora, he was able to have funds to campaign and run for president.

Fame is like a drug when it hits you well, you feel like you are at the top of the world, you can become anyone, and with just one term in parliament the ghetto man was convinced he can oust the General, Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa.

President Museveni has steadily maintained his political career as the President of Uganda for the last 37 years and great leadership in previous Governments before him and on top of that as Chairman of NRM party since its inception, in terms of comparability, Bobi Wine chances of winning were at the bottoms of Lake Bunyonyi.

You can be known by almost everyone in the whole world but that doesn’t guarantee you particular positions especially in politics. Leadership and fame are not compatible. Leadership requires great discipline, sense of analyzing and studying the dynamics of different societies.

The Man from Kamwokya has failed to understand this and he has pushed his fame on. He now embarked on maintaining his position by even calling himself the elected President of Uganda, well in his own world and his blind folded followers of the people power movement, he is the President and continues to enjoy these assumed titles. Instead of working with fellow opposition leaders like Kizza Besigye to formulate a suitable move against HE. Kaguta Museveni, Bobi Wine perceives himself as above the rest.

Popularity can maybe get you in the seat, but soon the voters will realize and push you back where you belong. Musically Bobi Wine, doesn’t belong to the industry anymore in my opinion he is a failed musician, after listening to his recent “Tujune” song, you have to agree with me he has lost the touch musically. Bobi Wine tries to emulate the greats Like Malcom X, Nelson Mandela and Thomas Sankara but at he actually lives the life of Mike Tyson, Koffi Olomide and Kanye West.