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Musician Daniel Kazibwe, popularly known as Ragga Dee, has voiced a strong opinion regarding the presence of artists and other creatives in Uganda’s parliament.
Appearing on NTV on Friday, he commented on the performance of artist-MPs in the current 11th Parliament and cautioned against an influx of similar candidates in the upcoming 12th Parliament.
"What we need is not more artist MPs but people who care about their entire constituencies," he said.
The artist who once released a song about the Ugandan Parliament stressed that a good legislator must be able to speak on a wide range of issues affecting all sectors, from politics and business to the arts.
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“My take is that while MPs need to care for the industries they come from, they also need to think about the broader constituencies they represent,” he said.
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Ragga Dee
Politics: A Different Game for Creatives
Ragga Dee suggested that the recent surge of creatives into politics was largely motivated by a desire for financial gain.
"That was because artists realised that that was a place to make money from," he stated.
This influx has seen a number of well-known artists secure parliamentary seats. Among the artists who won in the 11th Parliament are Geoffrey Lutaaya, a renowned musician who is the Member of Parliament for Kakuuto County, Hilary Innocent Kiyaga, known as Dr. Hilderman, and Afrigo Band’s Racheal Magoola.
However, Ragga Dee argued that politics is a different game altogether, demanding a specific skill set that many of these artists have failed to demonstrate.
Falling Short on Parliamentary Duties
According to Ragga Dee, politics requires thorough preparation and a deep understanding of the issues facing the populace.
He noted that an effective MP needs to be a "good reader," understand numbers, and be able to articulate the problems of their constituents clearly.
His view is that many of the creatives currently in parliament have fallen short of these expectations.