Museveni will end up in dustbin of history, says Bobi Wine

Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine (L) and President Museveni. PHOTO/COMBO 

What you need to know:

  • Citing the pre and post-electoral aura of what he called atrocities, Bobi Wine accused the international community of blatantly ignoring reality in Uganda. 
  • Mr Museveni who turned 77 on September 15- last week told the same news agency that he won the January 14 polls as Bobi Wine led opposition in rigging. 

Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party president, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine on Tuesday said ‘‘It’s just a matter of time and President Museveni will end up in the dustbin of history.’’

Bobi Wine, speaking from South Africa- told France 24’s Marc Perelman that Mr Museveni is on paths to ending in the league of continental authoritarians Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe), Omar Al-Bashir (Sudan) and the recently ousted Alpha Conde (Guinea). 

‘‘Recent history shows how all tyrants that have operated and behaved like Mr Museveni end up. Mr Museveni has showed us the same trajectory of all dictators in Africa that come in the name of revolutionaries but descend into despised despots,’’ he remarked.

 ‘‘It has been done in several other African countries and certainly can be done in Uganda,’’ he added. 

Asked whether he thinks Mr Museveni will finish his 5-year-sixth term, Bobi Wine said:  ''He has only done what all other dictators do- focus on his continued hold onto power and all this comes to the detriment of Ugandans. He has changed the constitution multiple times. It always has unhappy endings.’’

Citing the pre and post-electoral aura of what he called atrocities, Bobi Wine accused the international community of blatantly ignoring reality in the East African nation.

‘‘The African Union did not say a word  and yes- the international community, apart from a few statements continue to be silent about the atrocities in Uganda,’’ he said exactly seven months after the January 14 polls in which the Electoral Commission stamped victory for Mr Museveni.

Bobi Wine, 39, clarified he was not interested in dialogue with the government.

‘‘He has always been a hypocrite. His approach to dialogue has always been coercion or co-optation. If dialogue must be meaningful, it should be for the people of Uganda and not just about me and him.’’

Screengrab taken September 14 shows Bobi Wine during the show hosted by Marc Perelman on France 24. PHOTO/COURTESY

Responding to recent comments made by Mr Museveni on not being afraid of the NUP wave, Bobi Wine insisted he ‘‘deliberately won the election’’ marred by irregularities and that ‘‘35-year incumbent president, Museveni, was scared of the thousands of Ugandans in a new generation yearning for change.’’

‘‘He had kept people ignorant since 1986 until our generation came up. Uganda is a country with over 80% of a population that has never seen any other president,’’ he said.

Bobi Wine urged Ugandans to liberate themselves saying ‘‘there’s nothing to expect from a tyrant like Mr Museveni other than constitutional and human rights abuse.’’