Content Advisory: Real world violence and/or war
A musician turned politician runs against Uganda’s decades-long president in Bobi Wine: The People’s President. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine, is a popular Ugandan musician and activist. Bobi Wine is an MP when the Ugandan government votes to remove age limits from the constitution, allowing President Yoweri Museveni to continue holding an office he has been in since 1986. Bobi Wine becomes the leader of the opposition and plans to run against Museveni in the 2021 election, however doing so results in him being targeted by the corrupt government.
Bobi Wine: The People’s President Synopsis
Bobi Wine: The People’s President is a National Geographic-produced documentary directed by Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp. The film takes place over five years between 2017 and 2021, during which Bobi Wine goes from being Uganda’s most popular Afrobeat musician to becoming the leader of the opposition and running against Yoweri Museveni, who has been President of Uganda for over three decades. After one of his earliest political rallies, Bobi Wine is arrested, for his supporters supposedly throwing stones at a presidential motorcade, and charged with treason. This begins a period of turmoil for Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie, as they fight for a free and democratic Uganda.
My Thoughts on Bobi Wine: The People’s President
On one hand, Bobi Wine: The People’s President gives a hopeful message about change coming to Uganda, with the film featuring many scenes set to Bobi Wine’s protest songs, complete with sing-a-long lyrics on the screen. However, the film doesn’t shy away from showing how corrupt and violent a country Uganda is under President Yoweri Museveni. In an early scene, an assassination attempt results in the death of Bobi Wine’s driver and one of the politician’s multiple arrests results in a riot with much gunfire.
As a Westerner, I have to admit that most of my recent knowledge of Uganda comes from the tongue-in-cheek Wakaliwood films from director Nabwana I.G.G., such as Who Killed Captain Alex? and Crazy World. However, Bobi Wine: The People’s President opens your eyes to how corrupt the country is. This includes the insistence that the election proceeds despite the COVID-19 pandemic and placing Bobi Wine on siege during the election, which also included deactivating the country’s internet service.
Bobi Wine: The People’s President serves as a reminder of the level of corruption and violence that exists in the world. However, the film also demonstrates that some are willing to stand up and fight for democracy. While the disturbing violent moments make the film not for everyone, Bobi Wine: The People’s President is still a documentary worth checking out.