I never knew one day I would be persuaded to write about Tamale Mirundi’s famed ‘mafia gang’ and his “MISO equipment” that he claims surveils the individuals that he harasses on his media interviews.
However, when a person I regard highly asked me what I think one of the recordings Mr Mirundi released during one of his shows, I felt I should share my two pence with more people.
Needless to say, we all enjoy Tamale Mirundi shows. For his shows truly depict the three objectives of media: information, education and entertainment.
For all his comedy, Tamale provokes his viewers to think for the themselves, thereby cause education and information on their minds, yet, he does it in an entertaining manner. That’s what has made Mirundi’s shows a regular menu on Uganda media, which often falls short on any of the above.
Yet Mirundi admits that he has personal objectives, and more often, reminds his readers how he is a student and master of propaganda. Which means Mirundi intentionally misleads his viewers by biasing them towards a particular way of thinking, sometimes by misrepresenting facts.
That’s what brings me to his audio recordings of what he calls the ‘mafia gang’.
Uganda might have groups of people who are organized to achieve particular goals, whether as Mirundi puts them, want to control politics and the economy, or Media or whatever. That could be out of the question. Every society has those people.
The question is, is Mirundi ahead of these people, to an extent of recording their meetings. My answer is. No. No. No.
But like they say, in propaganda, when a lie is repeated several times, it starts to sound like the truth.
And this is what Mirundi is trying to achieve.
Reasons for doing this are clear to me. He wants to buy credence and reverence before the public and people he might step on in the course of doing his propaganda work.
In building credence, he gets a following that hangs on his every word that the man has bwino given the technics he employs to get the information, and has something to do with fear. Mirundi wants to be feared. Creating the untouched awe around him would protect him from physical and imagined enemies.
So, why do I conclude Mirundi has a quack “surveillance equipment”!
Not only does Mirundi knows it’s illegal to eavesdrop on others as a private citizen and it could cost him a leg and an arm, but also jail. See, newspapers like The News of The World in United kingdom closed over such unethical tactics. Mirundi knows if the mafia existed in Uganda, they would put him on the spot over that.
Because, of what he has given us as output from his recordings.
Mirundi has always dropped for us names of the “mafia gang”. At least, five of them, we can identify them by name, face and voice. Isn’t it? Right.
Then, how come, only three voices we are hearing from him, are nothing close to the person he mentions.
The Asian he alleges to sell human parts, the Ankole/Kigezi accent man and another with a sharp voice.
In the three voices, one clearly sees what he intends to achieve, but all three voices are works of actors. People who mimic the three characters above but fail terribly at the job. At one point, Mirundi depicts a meeting of Mafias, where only person is speaking and like the rest are listening to him from a parade.
The same person would take on different roles to speak for others in the meeting, and a far away voice of the high pitched gang members, quips in. The Asian man also enjoys his monologues, or sometimes with the Ankole accented “minister” no one seems to guess the identity of his voice.
In short, Tamale attempts the comedy of fake traditional doctors played on their unsuspecting clients, when a character is purported to relay a message of a spirit that’s he or she’s not.
In so doing, Mirundi has built a theatre where he’s the producer, director and actor. Unfortunately, he doesn’t name his production by the right genre. It’s not a reality show. It’s drama. And reasonable viewers can get his message rightly. Uganda needs to be much better than it is. And players would better style up and be pro people.
In conclusion, Mr Mirundi’s improvisation can still give TV viewers more information on the State of affairs, education and entertainment, although I wish they listen to the message and not be distracted by the theatrics Mirundi has introduced to capture his viewers’ imagination.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
