In his book Tears & Triumph; My Life With Yoweri Museveni and Others, Onapito Ekomoloit, former press secretary to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, delves into the president’s fixation with public gatherings and their media representation.
Ekomoloit, who served from 2002 to 2006, reveals that his job was once in jeopardy due to the perception that his team did not adequately capture these crowds in the media. During the 2006 presidential election, Museveni faced his former physician, Dr Kizza Besigye, for the second time.
Ekomoloit recounts how a photograph published by New Vision, a government-owned newspaper, infuriated the president. The image showcased Besigye addressing an enormous crowd in Arua.
“The New Vision, seemingly disregarding its affiliation with the state, shocked many by prominently featuring the photo of Besigye’s crowd on the front page,” Ekomoloit writes.
“A terse meeting ensued, attended by Museveni, New Vision corporation secretary Robert Kabushenga, the newspaper’s board chairman Brig Noble Mayombo [RIP], and myself. Museveni, brandishing the newspaper, asked rhetorically, ‘What is this?’ Before anyone could respond, he tossed the newspaper onto the table and abruptly exited the meeting.”
Aware of the president’s keen interest in how crowds were portrayed, others who sought Ekomoloit’s position began to criticize his performance. They argued he was failing to effectively maximize Museveni’s visibility by not capturing images that would attest to his ability to draw large audiences.
Ekomoloit narrates another incident when some of Museveni’s campaign team, eager to deflect blame and curry favor with the president, portrayed him [Ekomoloit] as lethargic and unenthusiastic about Museveni’s bid for a third term.
0 Comments