Uganda opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has said President Yoweri Museveni is seeking to establish a monarch in the country.

Responding to a question by the Star on what he thinks of the talk that President Museveni's son, Lt Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, could be joining politics, Kyagulanyi said, "They want to establish a monarch. That's what they are doing". 

Muhoozi is the commander of the land forces of the Uganda People's Defence Force and was previously the commander of the Special Forces Command, while Janet Museveni is the Education minister. 

The musician-cum-politician and popular by the stage name Bobi spoke to the Star on the sidelines of the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn, Germany.

Bobi Wine said he feared this would happen in the elections set for 2026.

Muhoozi gave the clearest signal yet of his interest to succeed his father during his 48th birthday celebrations in April this year.

“When Team MK wins power in this country, which we will, our first action will be to increase the sports budget. Team MK will announce our political programme soon,” Gen Muhoozi said on Twitter.

This is, however, not the first time that talk of him being groomed to take over from his father is coming forward. Former spymaster and now Gen (Rtd) David Sejusa, in 2013, said President Museveni was grooming his son to succeed him when he retires. They both denied it.

But even so, Bobi Wine said they are working day and night to see the end of Museveni's rule.

"There is always a rise and fall of a dictator. There is no rise and rise of a dictator ... We already know his rise, we are working day and night to see his fall," Bobi Wine told the DW Global Media Forum session on 'Creatives from Africa: To stay or to go'. 

"Uganda continues to be under a tight military rule of General Yoweri Museveni, who took power when I was only four years and now I am 40 and there is no sign there will be a change.

"We don't want change for the sake of it. We want to return power to the people. That's why they call us the people power movement," Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform party added.

He also said that his red beret, "like the word freedom, like my face" has been banned in Uganda not based on any law but "because Museveni and his son just don't want it".

Asked what he would do to promote culture if he wins the presidency, Bobi Wine said he would ensure there is freedom.

"If there is freedom, culture will flourish," he said. 

The DW Global Media Forum offers an interdisciplinary platform for media professionals as well as decision-makers from politics, civil society, culture, education, business and science from all over the world to get together and to learn from each other as part of an intercultural exchange since 2008.

This year's forum between June 21-22 explored opportunities to foster resilient journalism in times of crisis. By Eliud Kibii, The Star