OP-ED: Bobi Wine At Obote’s Tomb: A Cynical Pilgrimage That Insults History & Democracy

By Hakim Kyeswa

As a Ugandan who is both a proud Muganda and a committed member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), I watched with profound dismay and a sense of historical whiplash as Mr. Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, laid a wreath at the tomb of the late former President, Milton Obote. While packaged in the language of “national unity” and “respect,” this act was not a sincere gesture of reconciliation. It was a calculated, opportunistic political stunt that insults the memory of the victims of the Obote regime and exposes a dangerous contempt for the genuine historical grievances that shape our nation.

To understand the depth of this insult, one must recall our shared history, particularly from the lens of Buganda. The late Apollo Milton Obote, for all his contributions to the independence struggle, presided over one of the most traumatic periods for the Kingdom of Buganda and for Ugandan democracy as a whole. It was under his orders in 1966 that the Ugandan army, led by Idi Amin, attacked the Lubiri—the palace of the Kabaka of Buganda—forcing His Highness Sir Edward Muteesa II into exile. This was not a mere political disagreement; it was a violent assault on a centuries-old cultural institution, a symbol of identity for the Baganda people. Furthermore, Obote’s 1967 Constitution abolished all kingdoms, effectively erasing a core part of our cultural heritage from the legal landscape of Uganda.

For a political leader from Buganda to stand at Obote’s tomb and pay homage, while on a campaign to supposedly “liberate” Ugandans, is a breathtaking act of historical amnesia. It tells the people of Lango, whom he seeks to court, that their political forebear is worthy of unqualified veneration. Simultaneously, it tells the Baganda that the pain of 1966, the abolition of their kingdom, and the exile of their Kabaka are trivial matters that can be overlooked for a photo opportunity. This is not bridge-building; it is the trampling of one community’s painful memory to win the favour of another.

As an NRM cadre, I see this as a stark lesson in the difference between principled leadership and political opportunism. The NRM government, under President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has worked to heal these historical wounds. The restoration of the kingdoms in 1993 was a deliberate act of national reconciliation, an acknowledgment of past wrongs, and a commitment to a united but diverse Uganda. This was a concrete step, grounded in a clear understanding of history. Bobi Wine’s gesture, in contrast, is hollow. It offers no apology for Obote’s actions, no acknowledgment of the suffering caused, and no coherent ideology beyond the pursuit of power. It suggests that for him, history is not a teacher but a tool to be picked up or discarded based on the electoral arithmetic of the day.

This brings me to the second point: the insult to democracy. A true democrat respects the consistency of principle. You cannot champion freedom and democracy today while honouring a man who oversaw its brutal suppression yesterday. The one-party state under Obote’s UPC, the political repression, and the elimination of dissent are the very antithesis of the values Bobi Wine claims to represent. His pilgrimage to Obote’s tomb reveals that his commitment is not to any core democratic ideal, but to the raw acquisition of power. It demonstrates a willingness to say anything and honour anyone, no matter how contradictory, if it might win a vote.

To the people of Lango, I say: be wary of a suitor who only remembers your great son when he needs your support. To the people of Buganda, I ask: do not let our profound historical pain be cheapened into a political bargaining chip. And to all Ugandans, let this be a clear lesson. Leadership requires consistency, a respect for history—all of it, not just the convenient parts—and a genuine commitment to principle over opportunism.

Uganda deserves leaders who build unity through truth and tangible reconciliation, not those who perform cynical pilgrimages that reopen old wounds for a chance at the ballot box. Bobi Wine’s visit to Obote’s tomb was not a sign of respect; it was a sign of desperation and a profound lack of integrity.

The writer is an NRM cadre, and political analyst. Email: hakimkim255@gmail.com