Bobi Wine is an Icon of Uganda’s Youth Revolution

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s administration has dominated Kampala for over thirty years. During this three decade span, Museveni and his loyal compatriots have enjoyed uninterrupted, and nearly absolute political control over one of East Africa’s most promising economies.

But the world is quickly finding out that Museveni and the picture he paints of Uganda is divorced from reality.

The meteoric rise of the Ghetto President, Bobi Wine, reveals to onlookers that Museveni and his supporters no longer accurately represent the majority of Ugandans, a majority that’s young, energetic and frustrated with the status quo. Bobi Wine has become the majority’s representative.

The country has sunk into a one-man rule. And if that’s not annoying enough there’s been serious isolation, especially of the young,” Mr Wine said. Uganda has the world’s second-youngest population, about three-quarters of people are under the age of 30, and Mr Museveni’s government has struggled to deliver the jobs, opportunities and progress they are demanding.

“The country is split between the oppressors and oppressed, between the haves and the have nots, the high class and the low class,” Mr Wine said. He continued: “This struggle is not limited to Uganda. It’s a struggle for all people, especially young people and particularly in Africa.”

Read the full article in the Financial Times here.