The man who calls himself the "Ladies' wine" and "The voice of the ghetto"- H.E. Bobi Wine has come out to claim the presidency of the "Uganja Republic" in Kamwokya, north east of Kampala. Famed for his famous catfights with other renowned music artists in Uganda, the self-styled 'Ghetto President' has come out to defend his stance and make his status well known to all and sundry. He is the voice of "his" people, the poor people in the slums.
Born Robert Kyagulanyi, His Excellency Bobi Wine is now adored and glorified in the slums - places he has sung about and portrayed in his music. If you have listened to his song Ghetto, you would agree with me that he knows what the poor man goes through. This is what makes him tick and the reason why he is riding on the success of his popularity, besides gaining more respect as an artist in Uganda. All this comes despite the fact that he has always been under the scrutiny of the press on account of his conflicts with other artists.
The year 2007 has proven to be a successful one for Bobi Wine. Belting out new tracks since the beginning of the year, Bobi Wine has maintained his position among the top musicians in Uganda and is enjoying a cult-like following. He is a god to some people. For now, Bobi has found a way of making the number of his fans grow by changing the name of his group from Fire Base Crew to The Republic of Uganja. The crew has created a more noticeable look to them, hoping it will gain them more popularity and increase their fan base.
Our interview took place his 'State House', as that is the only place he preferred to conduct an interview. Bobi Wine now gets to tell us what he is up to and his plans for the years to come.
