Kampala : In his red beret and jumpsuit the Ugandan pop star Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine, leads cheering campaigners down a street, punching the air and waving the national flag.
That image has defined the unlikely new political phenomenon — and possibly now put him in danger as an opposition figure taking on one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Once considered a marijuana-loving crooner, the 36-year-old “ghetto child” is a new MP, who urges countrymen to stand up against what he calls a failing government. His “Freedom” video opens with him singing behind bars: “We are fed up with those who oppress our lives.” He has protested against an unpopular social media tax and a controversial change to the constitution removing presidential age limits.