by Ahmed Katerega Musaazi
A group of rowdy artists in Mbarara city yesterday vandalized the banner of Jennifer Nakanguubi alias Full Figure from the city’s round-about commonly known as “Mahembe Gente”.
The artists who were very angry said that particular location known is the proverbial entry point to Mbarara city and the round-about has become the icon of what the multiple cultures, clans, and traditions of the city.
They said it’s the proverbial ark of covenant for the city, its untouchable, and cannot be used to drive any other message be it political, religious or otherwise, its sacred, its unheard of for any politician to put a poster there.
According to one of the protesters, Mbarara city is a very old town that greatly appreciates its values and traditions just like any place in Uganda.
The artists also accused the ruling party for sidelining them yet they have their own role models in the arts industry and hence do not need Jennifer Full Figure’s services.
They threatened that next time Full Figure steps in their city, she must have tight full security otherwise she will face it rough.
However, speaking to NBS Uncut show on Tuesday, Full Figure said some people think NRM party belongs to one tribe which is wrong.
“These people should be ashamed. Their actions mean that they don’t even listen to President Museveni who is always against tribalism in the country,” she said.
She noted that everyone should be free in Uganda and the act of promoting tribalism is a sign of stupidity of the highest level.
“I am so powerful and that’s why people keep on talking about me because they feel I am bigger than them. I don’t see any reason as to why they had to destroy my posters. We are one people fighting for a common goal,” she said.
The Banyambarara should learn advice from President Museveni.
In 1979 as the late Prof. Yusuf Lule was getting trouble inside UNLF
camp, his loyal Minister Sam Ssebagereka held a rally at Kayunga in
Bugerere and invited a young state minister for Defense Yoweri
Museveni as the guest speaker.
Museveni cautioned Baganda against owning Lule as “Luwe waffe,” (our
Lule). “Lule mwagala kumutugobako “you want to to own Lule yet he is
brought by UNLF).
Likewise, some Banyambarara think that they own President Museveni.
Yet when he stood in 1980 they did not vote for him.
Full Figure is one of the few presidential aides, that is doing her job well. She has an impact in Katwe, our
former Soweto before Idi Amin declared the Economic War that chased
Asians out of Uganda.
As a guerilla force, NRM can not rely only on official structure. What
if it is infiltrated? That is why it has Plot 10 for NRM Secretariat , Plot 13 for NRM Electoral Commission and Office
of National Chairperson Kyambogo, in addition to many mobilization
groups, task forces and pressure groups.
So the signals the simple minds will take is that Abanyambarara
rejected Full Figure because she is not one of their own.
Others will think that opposition to President Museveni has been based
in Mbarara all the time and it was not surprising that they are protesting against Full Figure the way they protested against Ngoma Ngime.
There are genuine reasons given by the local artists one of them is that local ones in
Mbarara have no access to the President and they think that Kampala
artists like Bebe Cool, Cathy Kusasira and Full Figure monopolized him.
There should be a way, local artists throughout the country should
have access to government programs like Emyoga.
