People Power is not about myself but everyone- Bobi Wine

Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine has said the idea of people power is not about any individual but  every Ugandan.

Coined by Bobi Wine, the  ‘People Power, Our Power”  slogan and has in the recent months gained more public traction and recognition after being responsible for triumph in the Kyadondo East, Bugiri Municipality elections and of recent Arua Municipality by-elections.

Many Members of Parliament have since associated themselves with the new wave.

Addressing his first press conference since his return from the US where he allegedly underwent specialized treatment after being tortured by security forces in Arua, Kyagulanyi said many people have tried to associate the ‘people power’ slogan to him but said it not entirely about him.

“People power is not about Bobi wine or anybody. It does not refer to me because I am only one among the 40 million Ugandans. People power is everyone,”Kyagulanyi said on Monday.

“It is that young lawyer, legislator or young man on boda boda stage who continues to be a slave in his own country. People power is all of us. People power is everybody and not political organization.”

The legislator cum singer explained that the slogan is derived from the first article of the Ugandan constitution that emphasizes that all power belongs to the people.

He explained that because the idea is premised on the provisions of the constitution, no one can stop it because it rages like a wild fire.

“Many times they have tried to identify us as a political organization but that is not true. Every Ugandan has a stake in the idea of people power,”Bobi Wine said.

Speaking to journalists a few weeks ago, President Museveni downplayed Bobi Wine’s  people power slogan saying the real one was the ruling NRM’s triumph in the concluded village elections.

“These people (Bobi Wine) are not informed because people power was demonstrated recently in the LC one elections. What do they call that? Millions turned out in the 54,000 villages that voted and it was massive people’s power,”Museveni said at State House in Entebbe while responding to questions from journalists.

“I think that was real people power because many turned up and voted openly in flesh(lining) and not hiding in papers(ballots).If you are looking for people power you saw it but if you are waiting for it you will see it again(during the 2021 polls).”

Many analysts have argued that since ‘people power’ has no concrete structures it is being felt by everyone because it is   spontaneous.

However, Museveni insisted that the real people power lays with the ruling NRM party considering a number of victories it has achieved in the past but said the media has not portrayed it well to the public.

“You the media are deceiving yourselves and am sorry for you. We have heard 35 by-elections since the 2016 elections and NRM has lost only four of these but the way you represent it in the papers, I wish you well.”

He added, “I am not responsible for your spiritual affairs otherwise I would feel sorry for you.”