The 2026 hunt is on! Musings on the political life cycle of Lucky Bosmic Otim

Every election cycle, the stakes are higher as the entrenched ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party desires to sink its 39-year-old corpulent posterior deeper into Uganda.

In consolidating its unwieldy bulk, the NRM increasingly discards the pretense of the early years that we are one big happy family under the ‘Movement’ umbrella. Therafa, the life of an unwavering opposition supporter is unmatched; a myriad of opportunities for sainthood and martyrdom.

A most peculiar current is sweeping through the framing of national political conversations. The hunted are being accused of persecuting the big bad hunter. Odd because the hunter is armed to the teeth; the hunted are unarmed and exposed. This disconcerting narrative blames the opposition for the persecution of the opposition, conveniently excusing the oppressive 39-year-old NRM, which has criminalized dissent.

Watching the political metamorphosis of veteran Northern Uganda musician, Lucky Bosmic Otim, is instructive – how the hunted become the hunters. On social media, Bosmic has been breathing fire, a one-man crusade to ensure Northern Uganda is cleansed of the opposition party, National Unity Party (NUP) and its leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu or Bobi Wine.

In a series of public gatherings, unhindered neither by police brutality nor the legality of peaceful public assembly, he stands atop a vehicle decked out in a brand NRM, a yellow shirt emblazoned with the bus logo sporting trendy bleached hair.

He bellows, “We don’t want Bobi Wine in Gulu City! We don’t want Bobi Wine in Northern Uganda…I am declaring war officially against NUP and Bobi Wine! Stop confusing Ugandans…”

Bosmic continues his tirade as the crowd looks on, “There are so many youths who lost their lives because of Bobi Wine; Bobi Wine has never compensated them…If I were stupid, by now I would be dead because I worked for Bobi Wine so I deserve all the rights to talk…Bobi Wine used me.”

Referencing an incident in June 2019 where Bosmic, then a high- ranking NUP official was brutalized when police broke up his ‘illegal gathering’, Bosmic spits, “I shed blood here ( Gulu Main Market) …my blood does not go for nothing. I am not Jesus! I don’t want to see Bobi Wine or NUP in Northern Uganda!”

The hunted turning on their own, Bosmic rages, “Bobi Wine has got no police. Bobi Wine has got no army. I can handle him…” (Bosmic does not remind his crowd that in 2019 when a police bloodied him and arrested him, he too had neither police nor army- it was Gulu town residents who protested and rescued him from the police – but why let the facts sully a good story?)

Fascinatingly, Bosmic Otim and Bobi Wine share several similarities – both are talented gravel-voiced musicians with loyal youthful fan bases. They carved out a niche as dreadlocked musicians whose music transcended the parte-after-parte vibes to social justice. Both shed their Rasta dreadlocks for close-cropped haircuts more suited to the delicate eye of the fickle Ugandan voter.

In 2019, African Arguments (AA) profiled Bosmic as ‘northern Uganda’s Bobi Wine’. Bosmic told AA, “Music is more powerful than the gun. Music is more powerful than politics.” AA noted that Bosmic’s music was so popular in the region that the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels would often call into Mega FM requesting Bosmic’s songs.

In joining politics, Bosmic and Bobi Wine embodied ‘people power’- inspiring their marginalized supporters that they too had a say in the governance of Uganda. Both were once chummy with the ruling party – Bobi Wine makes no secret of how as a celebrity rude bway musician, he was on first-name basis with several army generals and top NRM leaders until he chose the ‘dark side’ of the opposition.

In 2006, Bosmic penned a popular song for President Museveni to mobilise the NRM vote in Northern Uganda. For his patriotic efforts, Bosmic claimed the NRM owed him Shs 300 million. Bosmic rose quickly within the People Power Movement – as People Power Coordinator in Acholi sub-region, he was a bright red vanguard for NUP.

In 2019, Bosmic was the subject of a mini-documentary, Anti Progress, highlighting his musical journey against “the dirty politics of Uganda.” In the documentary, Bosmic remarked,” I sing [about] exactly what I’ve seen, so that makes me a singer who fears nothing… Because it’s the truth.”

By this time, Bosmic had become familiar with the NRM state combo of arrests and intimidation of the opposition. Like Bobi Wine, Police would ban Bosmic from performing publicly, claiming that Bosmic had ventured into ‘partisan politics’ (Dear reader, stay calm, it’s only partisan if you are not singing for the NRM).

In 2018, Bosmic released a fiery song, Mac Onywalo Buru (Fire produces ashes) attacking Northern Uganda political leaders in the region for selling out to the NRM. Like clockwork, the state machinery banned airplay of Bosmic’s music. Then, Bobi Wine, praised Bosmic’s song, “It’s a killer song from northern Uganda by Bosmic Otim. He is an asset this generation needs. People in Northern Uganda protect him and let nothing happen to him.”

As Bobi Wine unfurled his political wings, the NRM regime ramped up the heat on his supporters, seeking to isolate Bobi Wine from his loyal base. The hunt was on. The similarities between Bobi and Bosmic started fading. By 2020, rumours swirled that Bosmic had met with President Yoweri Museveni. In February 2020, Bosmic accused Bobi Wine/NUP of abandoning him when the state closed in on him.

Candidly, he shed light on the torturous life of a firebrand opposition supporter, “Going to President Museveni was to find a way to becoming a free citizen again…Living a life without proper security for your family is the worst life ever on earth.”

When the 2021 elections rolled in, Bosmic without his dreadlocks ran unsuccessfully for parliament on the sunny yellow NRM ticket. He later was embroiled in fights over General Salim Saleh’s controversial bailouts to musicians. In 2022, he fled to South Sudan after a series of vitriolic outbursts against his newly adopted NRM. He denounced President Museveni thus, “Museveni doesn’t understand the language of peace talks, he doesn’t know peace. Most of his work is through intimidation.”

On May 4, 2024, Bosmic was back on the scene with a bang. Looking like a clean-cut prize in a dark suit, he stood on the steps of State House Nakasero as a jovial President Museveni welcomed him back into the fold.

President Museveni on his X page, tweeted magnanimously, “Mr. Bosmic Otim, was mistreated by some crooks and forced to flee to Nairobi and South Sudan. Additionally, he was falsely accused, with claims that he was a rebel. Now that he has returned, I welcome him back to Uganda and to the NRM party. We will investigate to determine who is responsible for this mistreatment and uncover the reasons behind it.”

His future secured, Bosmic left that meeting with a snazzy new title: Senior Presidential Advisor for Wealth Creation. In his latest videos, he signs off as ‘Hon. Lucky Bosmic Otim’. In July 2024, ‘Hon. Bosmic’ was caught on video viciously beating up a man in the presence of state security. The hunted became the big bad hunter.

Today, Bosmic who formerly sang hard-hitting lyrics about Museveni like, “You went to the bush to fight for change, now you are in power, you don’t want change” is now the hunter. ‘Hon. Bosmic’ sings a whole new tune: “Opposition are liars; they lie to the people for self-enrichment. The big businesses in town belong to the opposition. Opposition is business.” Dear reader, be careful out there. The hunt is on. Mac Onywalo Buru (Fire produces ashes).