By BigEyeUg Team
Victor Kamenyo, the musician-turned-politician who lost his bid for a parliamentary seat in the recently concluded elections, has alleged that there was a deliberate strategy to ensure that no entertainer made it back to Parliament.
Speaking out after his defeat, Kamenyo claimed that musicians were specifically targeted and edged out of the political arena, despite what he believes is their strong connection to ordinary citizens.
He argued that entertainers, by nature of their work, are closely in touch with the people’s daily struggles and are therefore well-suited to represent them in Parliament.
Kamenyo’s concerns come in the wake of several high-profile losses by entertainers who were either seeking re-election or contesting parliamentary seats for the first time. Geoffrey Lutaaya and Kayemba Solo, who had each served a single term in Parliament, failed to retain their seats, while singer Nina Roz also lost her race in Sembabule.
According to Kamenyo, these losses were not accidental but the result of widespread election malpractices allegedly orchestrated by the ruling government. He claimed that state machinery was used to influence the outcome of the elections.
“What can you do? They have the declarers, they have the police and the army, and they came with a strategy and they got what they wanted,” Kamenyo said.
He also rejected the popular perception that musicians lack the capacity to serve effectively in Parliament, insisting that leadership is about ideas, vision and ideology rather than professional background.
Kamenyo cited international examples to support his argument, pointing to former Liberian President George Weah, who transitioned from football to politics, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who served as Governor of California after a successful acting career.
“We have seen all those people come and lead. It’s all about ideologies,” he said. “We are all humans. God gave us this world without discriminating whether someone is a musician or not.”
He further argued that musicians are uniquely positioned to represent the masses because they constantly interact with people from all walks of life. Kamenyo said this close connection to the public explains why opposition leader Bobi Wine was able to rise quickly in politics.
“Musicians are always with the people. They know what the people are going through, and that’s why it was easy for Bobi Wine to elevate in politics,” he added.
Despite his loss, Kamenyo maintained that entertainers still have a place in leadership and that excluding them from politics denies voters a diverse range of voices and experiences in Parliament.