It’s 10am in the morning here in California. Today, I woke up to an article from my country Uganda whose flag I and many other artistes struggle so hard to raise high. We hustle to sell the names of our countries and Africa positively, stand out as examples, give the youth hope that anything is possible as long as you work hard, stay focused, sacrifice, stand proud of your home, and love and support your own products.
This is not the first time negative articles are written about me, but this time I choose to react, correct, inspire and start a movement against negative, selfish, irresponsible and unprofessional journalism in UGANDA and AFRICA as a whole.
It’s disgusting to see African or Ugandan journalists focus on highlighting the negative. It is uncouth of young men and women in journalism not to know the value of hard work, struggle, genuine sacrifice, confidence, self-belief, innovation and leadership.
It’s so painful to see that journalism in my country Uganda is based on lack of knowledge, facts, personal issues, bribery, attention seeking, and a desire to destroy those that work hard. I have had so many encounters with journalists in the last 20 years of my professional music career but one thing I have noticed about them is that most of them never do journalism for any reason beyond their individual benefit yet journalism is something which I believe should be about benefiting the community.
In Uganda, journalism is many times all about tarnishing individuals. It is about pulling people down, fighting each other, destroying the hard working and successful, disrespecting and looking down on women, and misdirecting the youth.
Take a good example of Nigeria and Nigerians. They have successfully supported each other home and away, they have raised their country flag high in the world through all possible channels. It’s not that they don’t disagree at home, not that they don’t question what their artistes, sports personalities, or politicians do, not that they don’t fight… They do all these things, but also see the BIGGER PICTURE, so they support each other, care about each other, export each other and promote each other when it comes to the rest of the world. But for Uganda, it’s evident in the diaspora and at home that there is an intention to destroy one another.
But the big question is WHY?
There are many reasons, I will point out a few. In my country Uganda, a journalist can ask you for money when broke and say if you don’t give them, you will see negative articles about you until you call and give them money. It’s basically blackmail.
In Uganda if a journalist wanted to date a lady and she turned them down, there will be fire for the next one year with all sorts of negative stories about her. Some journalists even have groups in which they are called, paid to attack specific individuals, families and businesses to mention but a few.
Little do they know that all these factors contribute to the lagging behind of our MOTHERLAND Africa, countries and individuals. This stuff builds nobody. Not even the people who spread all this negativity.
They destroy the confidence of an African woman and child.
They mislead the rest of the world about the true picture of Africa.
They destroy the African tourism sector.
They indirectly destroy businesses in which their own mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters are employed/earn a living.
They scare away investors.
They build false confidence in those who bribe them with money and assets to mention but a few.
Little do they know that they at the end of the day destroy themselves as well.
My name has been tarnished by some media houses and individual journalists who I can promise have no single idea about me and my goals and lack the confidence to call me, ask for interviews, express their desire to understand the complicated and so called controversial Bebe Cool.
But I am still the same person many individual journalists have run to when they are in trouble, the same Bebe Cool who helps the needy because I have been given a position by Allah which allows me to help the needy when I can. Today I am the same musician advocating to help BABY KAYLA whose mother reached out to us as Ugandans to mention but a few.
Today it’s baby KAYLA tomorrow it’s your child Mr Journalist. If you tarnish my name and destroy my music business, how will I help baby KAYLA? Or when your turn comes how do you expect me to render any assistance? How do you want us as Ugandans and Africans at large to develop? What picture do you want the rest of the world to see about Bebe Cool, my country Uganda or my Africa?
How do you want the rest of the world to see black African women and our kids our society? But most of all how do you BENEFIT when you bring down a fellow Ugandan or country man?
No society in the world developed at once, it has always been through individual sacrifices and taking it one step at a time until where they are today.
Every Ugandan who develops out of the 40 million people is one step towards development of our country. Every single Ugandan you destroy is a step back for our country.
There is never going to be a day when all of us develop at a go so I think Mr Journalist, you should treasure what you have today because you’re not sure you will have it tomorrow.
Treasure and appreciate Bebe Cool because if you research well you will find out that he has sacrificed a lot for the Ugandan music industry where your young brothers and sisters are earning a living today and tomorrow.
My African brothers and sisters, keep in mind that when we destroy each other, no matter where we are in the world, we destroy our children’s food and future.
I call upon all Africans to join me on this cause to educate, correct, redirect, inspire our journalists in Africa towards selling the good side of Africa and Africans because that’s what the western world has done despite the fact that they face the worse conditions than us like bad weather, war, murder, theft, drugs, homelessness, complicated diseases, fraud, prostitution etc.
Let’s pick a leaf from them before we destroy others, ourselves and our MOTHERLAND.
For God and my country.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
