Secret behind Bizonto’s strong message
The greatest trick Bizonto (a group of comedians) ever pulled was convincing the world that they are merely comedians.
In a carefully crafted ‘comedy’ skit, the group selectively mentioned vital government positions that are occupied by people from western Uganda (westerners).
And by masterfully using the art of insinuation, the skit left the impression that the government is exceptionally sectarian; all juicy positions are reserved for westerners, and westerners have all the money while other groups are poor and marginalised.
The skit was highly effective at inciting the public because it touched on our unspoken fears and kindled our subconscious prejudices.
The effectiveness of that skit comes primarily from two things. First, it takes advantage of pre-existing misconceptions, such as our perception of westerners as belonging to one ethnic group. Never mind that western Uganda consists of over a dozen distinct ethnicities, many of which are similarly impoverished and underrepresented in government.
Secondly, the video selectively applies facts that are intentionally devoid of context. Here, what makes the difference is not so much what is said but what is left unsaid.
To begin with, they fused more than 12 distinct ethnic groups from western Uganda into one group, Banyankore. In doing so, they greatly enhanced the overrepresentation of Banyankore in government. Yet referring to a Mufumbira or a Mutooro as a Munyankole is not only inaccurate but also disrespectful.
It is akin to calling a Musoga a Muganda. Besides, such generalisation hides the stark inequalities that exist within a heterogeneous western Uganda.
Secondly, if truth consists of 10 facts, mentioning three and leaving out seven can create a wrong impression, which is equivalent to lying.
In other words, one can use facts to lie or conceal the truth. By only highlighting positions held by westerners, Bizonto, for instance, hid the fact that, quantitatively, there are as many Baganda as Banyankore in Uganda’s Cabinet.
If we applied a similar approach to the ministry of Education, we would emphasize that it’s headed by a westerner who is married to the President. Then we would leave out the fact that of the three State ministers and permanent secretary, three are Baganda. In doing so, we would exaggerate the extent of nepotism in government and provoke an already primed public to anger.
This is the dangerous game Bizonto are playing. In truth, they are political instigators masquerading as comedians. There is nothing innocent or funny about their political machinations.
To enhance the illusion of an affluent western Uganda, Bizonto and their ilk ignore that the best schools and hospitals (both public and private) are in central Uganda. They also leave out the fact that no western district appears among the top seven wealthiest areas of Uganda. Mbarara, which one might imagine is the most affluent district, is actually down in position eight.
One can, therefore, see that the intentions of Bizonto are not pure. Yes, they spoke facts; however, facts can be used to mislead or conceal the truth. Lawyers do it all the time.
In Bizonto’s case, they used facts to ignite sectarian excitement by exaggerating the extent of sectarianism and its impact on the individual progress of the average Ugandan.
As we call the government to be more responsible with its power, let us also be responsible with ours.
If we are influential, we have the added responsibility of being accurate in our criticisms because people believe what we say. Otherwise, we will usher in an era of irresponsibility from both sides.
Mr Kibudde is a socio-political thinker
[email protected] Twitter: @kkaboggoza
