Ssentamu Robert Kyagulanyi popularly known as Bobi Wine is a Ugandan Musician, Politician, Businessman and Philanthropist. He was born in Gomba District by then it was still Mpigi District on February 12 1982 to Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Ssentamu.
Bobi Wine has been successful in music being of the most celebrated musicians in the East African having sung over 50 songs in a span of 17 years. His songs advocating for good governance and democracy gave him fame among the youth and paved his way to join active where he contested and won the 2017 Parliamentary by elections becoming the Kyadondo East constituency Member of Parliament in the 10th parliament. As of today 12th ‘Tweni Tweni Waa’, he is warming up to enter State House in case Ugandans entrust him with the country’s top office.
Bobi Wine has done a lot of odd jobs that include bricklaying, grasshopper catching and others. He did most of these jobs to support his education and also to support his music life.
Music Career
Bobi Wine developed interest in music during his high school but he chose to join professional music while applying for a University course. According to him, he applied for Music Dance and Drama because he had developed interest in music and also because he was targeting government scholarship since such courses have little competition.
Bob Wine released his first song Akagoma in 2003, he later joined musician Bebe Cool and formed a music group Firebase crew where they released songs like Funtula. Bebe Cool would soon leave fire base records to form his own music group known as Gagamel Entertainment.
Throughout his entire music career, Bobi Wine has released various songs both singles and collaborations with artists from East Africa, the rest of Africa and as far Jamaica. He has sold many copies of songs and has millions of digital downloads and views on his songs on various music streaming sites.
Bobi Wine is the owner of Firebase studios a music recording studio based in Kamwokya a suburb of Kampala. He is also the owner of Fire Base crew where musicians like Nubian Li, Buchaman, Sizzaman, Banjoman and many others started their journey.
Political Career
In his music songs, Bobi Wine has always been passing message of activism advocating of freedom, unity and respect of human rights, good governance and democracy. His songs like Ebibuzo, Tugambire ku Jeniffer, Ndi Muna-Uganda, Freedom, Time Bomb and others were all carrying a political message.
Bobi Wine joined active politics in 2017 when contested in the Kyadondo by Elections after the incumbent MP Apollo Kantinti was removed by court. Bobi Wine came as an independent candidate and won the election with a landslide getting 78% of valid votes.
Bobi Wine joined Parliament as an opposition leaning independent MP who received national acknowledgement as an MP in the ‘Togikwatako campaign’ a drive meant to deny the incumbent president Museveni a chance to remove the age limit clause in the constitution so that he can rule for life.
Bobi Wine was also vocal in opposing the unpopular Social Media Tax known as OTT tax and Mobile Money where he even organized protests in Kampala against the passing of the tax and he would be charged for this a year later.
Bobi Wine participated in various by election campaigns supporting opposition candidates against NRM candidates the most popular ones being Paul Mwiru’s victory in Jinja, Bamukwasa Betty Muzanira the Rukungiri Woman MP, Asuman Basalirwa the Bugiri Municipality MP and Kasiano Wadri of Arua Municipality where Bobi Wine was then arrested, beaten and taken to the army barracks prison and charged with treason on allegations of beating the person of the president with a stone and illegally holding guns, charges that were later dropped.
In 2018 Bobi Wine championed a pressure group called People Power using red as their color.
In 2019 Bobi Wine announced while on an Interview with Voice of America that he and his team consider challenging the incumbent president Yoweri Museveni who had by them ruled the country for 33 years.
In 2020 June, Bobi Wine announced joining the political party National Unity Platform and assuming its leadership where he became its party president. The party elected him unopposed as the flag bearer and also within 3 months of existence, his party managed to nominate 120 Member of Parliament candidates and hundreds of councilors across the country.
On November 3rd, Bobi Wine was dully nominated as a candidate for the 2021 elections as NUP Candidate using an umbrella as his sign. He has since then embarked on campaigns that have seen him get arrested, teargassed, denied access to hotels and being made to sleep in cars, denied access to radio stations and also refused to hold rallies in various districts.
He is one of the 10 opposition Presidential candidates who are hopeful and looking forward to the 2021 General Presidential Candidates to stop the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni from extending his rule to the 4th decade.
Enock Mugabi aka iWitness is a Journalist, Seasoned Writer and Music Analyst with a passion for sports.
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