Ugandan musician Bebe Cool has raised concerns about Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire’s recent calls for young Ugandans to stand against corruption.
In a post shared on his X platform (formerly Twitter), Bebe Cool questioned Otafiire’s moral authority to lead an anti-corruption crusade, citing the Major General’s history with corruption allegations.
Bebe Cool began his message by acknowledging Otafiire’s long service to the country and his contributions as part of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). “Dear my leader, elder Gen @otafiire_k (Otafiire), first of all, I salute you for serving our beautiful country for the last 40 or so years,” he wrote.
He praised Otafiire and his colleagues for their efforts in advancing Uganda towards middle-income status through socio-economic transformation programs.
However, Bebe Cool expressed scepticism about Otafiire’s recent public call for the youth to combat corruption. “I actually don’t believe you have the moral authority to lead an anti-corruption crusade,” he stated.
He pointed out that Otafiire’s name has been linked to several corruption scandals over the years. Specifically, Bebe Cool referenced a 2006 report by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) that accused Otafiire of interfering with the tendering process for the computerization of the Lands Registry.
According to the report, Otafiire disbanded the official evaluation committee and handpicked a private firm, M/S Center for Procurement Management, in violation of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) regulations.
Bebe Cool suggested that Otafiire’s message, while resonating with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s heightened anti-corruption efforts, should have been addressed internally within the NRM and the government.
He criticized Otafiire’s public stance as insincere and potentially damaging. “Your public outcry is insincere,” he wrote. “Going forward, I pray, you engage your fellow leaders internally instead of brewing bad blood within.”
Concluding his message, Bebe Cool emphasized the importance of unity and a strategic approach in the fight against corruption. “We are all against corruption, but how we approach our war against it matters,” he stated. He signed off with a patriotic note, “For God and my Country.”