EJ Magambo | OPINION

𝗢𝗝-𝗨𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗔

There is a line doing the rounds these days: “Those crowds are not voters, they are fans.” You have probably heard it on radio talk shows, read it on Facebook or caught it from a self-proclaimed political analyst somewhere. And the target? Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) and his party.

But why is it that when President Museveni’s rallies are packed with schoolchildren and youth in yellow T-shirts, we call them voters, yet when Bobi Wine fills a stadium, the same type of people suddenly become fans?

Some political analysts  say “Bobi Wine has the energy and magnetism to rally the youth, but when it comes to the ballot, Museveni still banks on the loyalty of the so-called seasoned voters.” The message here is clear: youthful crowds equal hype, and the older crowd equals real votes.

But wait a minute. Why do we separate “fans” from “voters” so easily? The same people who dance at a rally are often the same people who wake up at dawn to line up and vote. They carry IDs, they attend campaign meetings, and they actually participate.

When Museveni addresses youth at rallies, with students in uniform cheering, the story becomes “voter mobilisation.” But when the red berets show up in Busia or Mubende, it is suddenly “crowd excitement” and “not real votes.”

And, yes, we have all heard this before. Last Sunday, for example, Daily Monitor’s opinion columnist, Musaazi Namiti, wrote, “Crowds have proven to be deceptive in past elections.” Sure, sometimes they are. But dismissing people’s excitement as meaningless is also dangerous. When you keep telling people that their presence does not matter, you slowly convince them to stay home on voting day.

Here is what really needs to change: the language. If someone registers as a voter and follows the campaign, they are a voter. If a so-called analyst insists “those are just fans,” they should provide evidence.

To be fair, not every crowd translates into votes. Politics is not a concert. You need polling agents, coordination and serious organisation. But the bigger mistake is swallowing the lie that those crowds do not matter at all. 

We also need to call out the double standard. When Museveni’s younger supporters attend his rallies, they are called “the next generation of voters.” When Bobi Wine’s do the same, they are called “fans.” What does that tell you about our democracy? That one side’s youth matter more than the other’s? That is not balance—that is bias.

The truth is, Uganda’s youth make up the bulk of the voting population. They are the boda boda riders, the students, the hawkers, the first-time voters. So if the political elite keep calling them “fans,” they are not just being dismissive—they are being dishonest.

At the end of the day, change will not come from hashtags or concerts. It will come when the so-called “fans” prove they are voters by showing up, staying vigilant and not letting anyone write them off before the ballot boxes even arrive.

The irony should not be lost on us: the people being dismissed as Bobi Wine’s fans are the same the ruling party tries to reach out to with free yellow T-shirts, brown envelopes and school visits. So, if they are not voters when they are in red, why do they becomevoters when they are in yellow?

When the music fades, the speeches end and the polling stations open, there is only one truth left: every voice counts, every vote counts. And the next time someone calls you a “fan,” just smile and remind them that fans can vote too.

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