Bobi Wine Shakes Museveni’s Tables, ‘Declares’ Buganda a Nation — Not a Tribe

In what seems like his continued attempts at criticizing President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni over the thorny issue of tribalism, National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has said that Buganda is not a tribe but a nation. 

While Baganda is one of the legally recognized tribes of Uganda, Bobi Wine, himself a Muganda by tribe according to official registration documents, says that Buganda is a nation and not a tribe.

A candidate in the 2021 presidential election, Bobi Wine came second to Museveni, garnering more votes from his home sub region of Buganda compared to other regions.

His political party, the NUP, also eclipsed the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) as the main opposition political party. But almost all his party MPs are from Buganda.

It was based on this electoral performance that Museveni blamed his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s poor performance in Buganda to tribalism. Mengo, the seat of the tribe’s Buganda Kingdom, NUP, and a number of Baganda hit back saying this characterization was unfair since Museveni has over the years also performed well in his home sub region of Ankole.

The issue of tribalism normally comes up during debates on Museveni’s government’s performance. Buganda and its people, the Baganda, usually trend in these debates.

Now, in his view, that is likely to be greeted with criticism from the Museveni regime, Bobi Wine argues that Buganda is a pottage of many tribes which form the nation he thinks it is.

He has now challenged historians to prove him wrong on his opinion that Buganda is not a tribe but a nation.

“Buganda is not a Tribe, it’s a Nation! Many tribes were united by King Kintu to form Buganda more than 800 years ago and this continued to the present day,” wrote Bobi Wine. 

“That’s why anybody who embraces the Ganda culture and values can become Muganda. Any historian can challenge me on this.”

President Museveni has been accused of ensuring that only tribes like Banyankore and other westerners dominate government and military jobs. Museveni has always hit back. (See one of his responses HERE).

Museveni has also argued that most people who claim to be Baganda are actually Banyarwanda. But he has himself denied being a Munyarwanda. (Read Stories Here and There).

Bobi Wine has previously blasted Museveni for accusing Baganda of tribalism yet it is these very people who greatly helped him and supported his NRA war. (Read Story Here).