By Our Reporters
Influential political/media analyst Tamale Mirundi has explained what makes singer Bebe Cool indispensable in President Museveni’s political calculus. The much-revered political analyst says Bebe Cool is more helpful to Museveni’s continued stay in power than the entire cabinet combined. In an unprecedented show of solidarity, Museveni recorded a video message promoting Mr. Cool’s Boxing Day concert in Kiwatule. Appearing on his weekly TV show, Mirundi said: “As a big name musician, Bebe Cool is of great importance and means a lot to the president. He is more important for the President’s political mobilization than the Katikkiro [Ruhakana Rugunda] or even the Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa. They are all supposed to mobilize support for the President but they are failing. That’s why Nankabirwa must fluke Chameleon’s concert in Lugogo to find a big crowd to address. But Bebe Cool is a big star with his own crowd which the President badly needs for his message to reach the masses without having to spend much.” Mirundi went on: “I’m telling you the President values him [Bebe] more than the Katikkiro or even Ruth Nankabirwa. That is why Bebe Cool can see the President whenever he wants yet the Katikkiro and Nankabirwa might fail. The President knows there is value addition in endorsing Bebe Cool than ministers who don’t have any audience anymore.” Mirundi said in “matters of political mobilization, Bebe Cool is at the Katikkiro level as far as the President is concerned.” Mirundi said in today’s Uganda “where musicians are quoted and followed more than politicians, the President is right to openly identify with a big star like Bebe Cool.” He suggested that for future political mobilization, Museveni should invest more in celebrities like Bebe than conventional political figureheads like Nankabirwa and Rugunda or whoever becomes Prime Minister after him. Mirundi also gave words of caution to both Museveni and his right hand man Bebe Cool, whose Boxing Day music fete (dubbed TONDEKA E KIWATULE MUTIMA GWA ZABU), is something the big man has already urged the public to massively attend. “The truth is pro-change music naturally sells more than music composed to preserve or praise the status quo and that’s where Bebe Cool gets constrained but otherwise he is okay with a large audience. In fact the pro-change music doesn’t have to carry any serious message for the change-seeking masses to embrace it.
Look at Kyarenga. What serious message does it carry? I don’t find any message in it yet its selling like hot cake,” Mirundi said. “I think by coming out to call on people to attend the event, the President hasn’t helped Bebe Cool. He has actually raised stakes and what if the opposition rallies behind Kyarenga and you find Kiwatule is empty? What signal will that send out?” Mirundi said much as the crowds at the musical concerts might be interested in pro-change music, it’s easier for the pro-Bebe Cool state to overcome Bobi Wine than it is for the opposition to overcome his competitor Mr. Cool. “It’s very easy for strategists like us working for government to deflate the Kyarenga man and leave him properly crippled in his own concert. What you do is to invest in buying tickets and you flood the venue with 10,000 fans who are clandestinely mingled in the crowd to serve the interests of the President. The moment Bobi Wine goes on stage and begins attacking the President, they heckle him off stage or you get your people to cut the wires connecting to the loud speakers and see if he won’t be humiliated. In fact that’s what the President’s handlers need to be doing as opposed to using teargas which discredits government and gives him [Bobi Wine] unintended political sympathy,” Mirundi submitted as his host Simon Muyanga Lutaaya nodded in approval. He also said as part of his strategy to reach out as opposed to being at loggerheads with Bobi Wine’s People Power crowd, he had reached out to the man from Magere and assured him of his Busabala attendance for the Kyarenga concert on Boxing Day tomorrow. “He has been excluded from IPOD and the President hasn’t reached out to him but we must keep the channels of communication open and that’s why I will be in Busabala. I rang my friend Mr. Kyarenga [meaning Bobi] yesterday and we had a good chat. I told him I’m coming and I will be with him tomorrow [Wednesday 26th December].” For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
