Singer Joseph Mayanja alias Chameleone’s was a few days ago denied a ticket by National Unity Platform to compete in the Kampala Lord Mayor elections.
The singer according assessments reports (NUP said they were fake) was among other reasons dumped for having no contribution to the new party beyond a couple of haphazardly recorded songs.
The singer was also faulted for being too catholic, short of requirements which would require a Muslim at this stage to battle Erias Lukwago, another Muslim.
Chameleone’s entire candidature was questionable, right from loyalty to the NUP and his ability to finance a campaign where he scored miserably, and for that matter he was defenestrated.
Many have lambasted the vetting process, calling it a corrupt, selective, sham process where specific people are getting away with the card for their close relationship with vetting committee or by parting with a few monies.
However, if the selection process was able to weed out Chameloene, it could well be standing credible, because anyway, why would a man who is neither here nor there give one the confidence that they wont be running away with the flag and next you hear they have been appointed mobiliser in ANT!?
Chameloene’s candidature had to be struck out immediately, because it was banked on opportunism, lack of direction and outright ignorance of the entire political flow of things.
In fact, the assessment of chameleone is only fair when they say that is contribution to NUP was through music, while his guttural voice still blasts out of speakers in the NRM Tubonga Nawe song which has long been spared for Museveni’s grand entry at all events in town.
This simply means that Chameloene has contributed more music to the NRM than he has for NUP, he therefore should take the assessment humbly and keep it away just like his DP card, which by the way is another story.
Chameleone while launching the anchor to his short sighted political career went running to the Democratic Party.
On June 27, 2019 Chameloene flanked by his brother Pallaso amidst ululation and cheers, entered DP offices and were unveiled as new members. He said he was in DP for the best benefit of “our countrymen and the country at large”.
But on this same day, Chameleone was donning a green necktie and a People Power red beret ( two symbols for two different political entities), it was quite telling that his was at anytime going to run with what was on his head.
On July 3rd, the singer while being unveiled as the party’s chief mobiliser said: “I support Bobi Wine 100%.”
It did not take long, and there he was driving along with a section from DP dubbed DP block and declaring allegiance to NUP and Kyagulanyi. Chameleone may not have been aware, that the group he was escorting are seasoned politicians, who are accustomed to deal cutting. He was the only new face; whose leadership experience is not provable, not even as a leader of his house!
Sooner, he was the busiest of all, running around with police, launching offices and oh he always comes back where he should be……(hitting the studios to release a haphazard song about Bobi and himself), before charging up with a number of youth to pick nomination forms and avail himself for vetting.
Chameloene has no claim to a NUP ticket, he has no claim to politics, the struggle does not owe men without a firm base anything, the struggle does require chameleons, but men who are ready to show their face with commitment and reliability.
So, where does he best fit? Music
By the way I wrote as I listened to Shida Za Dunia
The writer is a private contributor to the Nile Post
