By Ivan Mwine
Ugandans musicians Catherine Kusasira and Big Eye real name Ibrahim Mayanja survived being lynched by supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP), a political party led by former presidential contender Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.
Moles reveal that trouble started when Kusasira and Big Eye, who renowned National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters, went to attend the burial of singer Sir Mathias Walukagga’s father Mzee Kisirinya Buyondo, in Kinyere vzone, Masaka City.
Walukagga being a NUP member, the burial ceremony was attended mainly by opposition politicians led by Bobi Wine, Lord Mayor Hajj Elias Lukwago, among others.
However, Moles reveal that the moment Kusasira and Big Eye showed up, irate NUP supporters ordered them to go away, calling them NRM traitors and all sorts of names.
Not even the police and other security officers deployed to secure the burial could help the situation.
Before long the mourners had started shoving Big Eye and Kusasira, who is a presidential advisor of artistes’ affairs, as they pushed them from the venue while others wanted to throw objects at them.
In the end, Kusasira and Big Eye had to flee for their dear lives because the NUP supporters were threatening to become violent.
It was only after they fled that normalcy returned and the burial ceremony continued.
Shortly after the burial, Lord Mayor Lukwago wrote thus on Facebook; “Paid our last respect to Mzee Kisirinya Buyondo, father to my friend, Mathias Mulumba Walukagga, who was laid to rest today at Kinyerere, Masaka City. Sleep well our father.”
However, some people, especially NRM sympathisers have since condemned what the NUP supporters did.
For instance, Lukyamuzi Yozefu wrote thus on Facebook about the incident;
“I have seen NUP guys celebrate and justify the chasing off of Catherine Kusasira and Big Eye from the burial of Mathias Walukagga’s father.
To me this is wrong and it is for such acts that I condemn Bobi Wine for not condemning them.
The justification is that these people work with the very regime that imprisons and murders our people.
I do understand your emotions but it is just like in war where a soldier is supposed to take a captured enemy as a Prisoner of War, yet sentiment would dictate vengeance for your own fallen comrades.
A struggle whose foot soldiers have no restraint is a bogus one. Indeed, it cannot progress far. Kusasira, Big Eye, Bebe Cool, Ronald Mayinja should just be looked at as victims of the situation too.
In fact, a struggle based on strategy would look to have Kusasira be your ear inside. Don’t alienate her. Kusasira is with M7 today just like there are pics when Bobi was laughing with Saleh, Muhoozi, Kayihura, Nabakooba back then.
Now, let us not be deceived that while Bobi was laughing with those I have mentioned….M7 and his gang were angels then. No. They by then already had Manenero, Musaasizi Kifefe, Kayiira, Lugonvu and a lot of other people’s blood already attributed to them.
Besigye never said he couldn’t associate with Kyagulanyi simply bcoz he associated with those who were responsible for his brother’s death. That is the tolerance and accomodativeness required of Leadership.
I remember Besigye restraining angry youths from undressing Nambooze in Mukono in the 2016 election.
Besigye too was tolerated in 2001 by Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere who had been so ill treated by Besigye and his wife Winnie in the 1996 election while they were still staunch NRMs.
We need leaders who can leave bridges open, not close them.”
