Love, Unity, and Reciprocity
The interpretations of “Mawanda Loves His Men” and “They Show Each Other Stumps” presented in this section reveal how mutual love, unity, and reciprocity provide the contour of functional relationships. The interpretations explore these themes, framing them through varied contemporary settings.
As we have pointed out, taking care of one another and upholding a sense of mutual support make up the relationship between the kings of Buganda and those who serve them in the royal court and beyond. Peter Kinene’s interpretation of “Mawanda Loves His Men” recalls this system of trust by explaining how people should protect those they are close to. On this point, he stresses the value of warning others of imminent danger. This wisdom underscores how selflessness minimizes conflict in relationships:
In politics and leadership, there are always traps to fall into; tricky situations that can ruin one’s career. It is important to avoid these traps and to warn our friends about them. One must tell them to continue slowly or to take a different approach, for instance. When people do not do this, even the most senior of leadership can fail. One particularly effective strategy for finding good advice is to examine the past. Looking at the solutions one’s forefathers or past leaders used, as well as the challenges they faced, can help in determining the best way to remedy current issues. Furthermore, it can also give a good indication of other problems that could arise in the future. Consequently, it is important for leaders to take the warnings and advice of those closest to them seriously. This is critical for continuing their rule and maintaining the stability of their public image. Failure to do so could mean economic and developmental failure. Even those who are not in grand positions of power should take this approach and heed the advice of their friends, for it is a way to ensure personal peace.
1Kinene interview, December 16, 2019.By comparing listening to a friend’s advice with seeking guidance from one’s forefathers, Kinene demonstrates how mutuality might cross our perceived temporal boundaries. For example, a king’s love does not merely extend to his contemporaries but also affects his descendants and future subjects. This conception challenges the primacy of linear time by posing an alternative framework where the past and present can converge and interact with each other, in turn determining the phenomena of the future.
2See also Ouattara 2018, 151. In doing so, Kinene enhances our ability to creatively imagine how the king shows his love.
In his analysis, Edward Ssebunnya Kironde offers thoughts on the various difficulties and high expectations leaders face. He is sympathetic to them, recognizing that anyone who takes a political position will have some weakness in their skills and knowledge. However, he emphasizes that such a thing is not tragedy, as any good ruler ought to be able to rely on and support others to strengthen the quality of his or her leadership. This relates to an earlier discussion of the court music institution and its various ensembles, where a similar idea served as the backbone of their performance practice. These similarities emerge in the decentering of the individual so that a collective’s members can cooperate fluidly, as Kironde suggests:
Even though people may be leaders, it does not mean they have everything figured out. This is to say that no elected leader will really be the full package. That is why it is critical for leaders to embrace the advice of others, particularly on matters they have no expertise in. For instance, President Museveni, though he has his faults, recently appointed a woman nicknamed Full Figure to help him resolve issues like poverty and crime in the ghettos of major cities. The fact that a leader who has been in power for over thirty years seeks advice from young people confirms that all people, no matter how experienced they are, do well to heed the advice of others. No leader can say he or she really has it figured out. Everyone needs the guidance of others in some sense, so no one can claim to be a worthy leader based purely on experience. President Museveni claims he went to the bush to fight for peace, but the effort was not his alone. The support from other freedom fighters and even other countries equally helped him win the war. However, at the same time, politicians like him criticize Bobi Wine for not being knowledgeable about certain things while hypocritically claiming they are better. Indeed, leaders should not have to be perfect or have everything figured out. They are fallible human beings just like the rest of those they lead. This is not to say that people should not hold them to high standards but instead that they should focus a little more on character than on experience when choosing our leaders. If one has a heart to serve, one can do well as a leader.
3Kironde interview, December 19, 2019.As Kironde argues, it is each person’s individual ability to trust and work with others that results in successful leadership, just as in the case of a musical performance. From the perspective of “Mawanda Loves His Men,” this process demonstrates how the notions of love and mutuality might apply to current political contexts. Where historically one might see mutuality with the kingship, people today often obscure this behavior from view, as if it is somehow negative to seek out the aid of others.
Similar to “Mawanda Loves His Men,” “They Show Each Other Stumps” highlights principles of ideal leadership, and many interpreters see the song’s message as advice to contemporary politicians. Several comment on how the general message of the song relates to today’s leadership, including John Magandaazi Kityo, who advises how leaders could more effectively engage with their opponents:
It is wise for leaders to listen to others, especially those with opposing views. In most cases, it is the opposition that can point out their shortcomings and stumbling points; they are easily able to notice faults. If they engage in a dialogue with one another and point out the other’s problems, it is likely they will address those problems more quickly. They help you see the stumps before you hit them. This might also be why some of today’s leaders have managed to maintain their power for so long. Perhaps they realized early on that members of the opposition are not enemies, but rather people who can help the leaders see their own “stumps.” Being mature and able to accept criticism from others is a major factor in their longevity as leaders, due to their ability to admit to and then subsequently work to correct their mistakes.
4Kityo interview, December 14, 2019.Kityo’s analysis tips the message of “They Show Each Other Stumps” toward the criticisms that two opposing groups share. Rather than depicting opposing relationships as mutually destructive, Kityo frames the message of the song to reimagine the opposition as an ally. He shows us how conflict itself can constitute a mutual relationship. Beyond a commentary on the importance of mutuality between allies, Kityo suggests that one can deconstruct and reimagine what constitutes an ally in the first place.
Addressing a list of wrongdoings committed by current leaders, Jimmy Ssenfuka Kibirige explains how self-centeredness will riddle a society and asserts that humility and foresight are crucial remedies to this problem:
An ideal society is humble and possesses the foresight to anticipate and solve any potential problems. Today, however, bad intentions (
amakuuli) plague society, particularly among the leadership. It would be much better off with leaders who could appropriately accept criticism.
5Kibirige interview, December 19, 2019.Kibirige suggests how contemporary leaders define politics in terms of self-centered and corrosive relationships between actors. Everyone involved loses, as these actors replace mutual support with strategic sabotage.
Kibirige ends this chapter’s analysis of “They Show Each Other Stumps” by claiming that harnessing unity is necessary to attain prosperity in a community. He spends less time indicting leaders, however, saying,
It also confirms that good leadership is possible when the people are unified in their support of a campaign. When the people are one, good leadership is inevitable. There is no propaganda, no attempts to ridicule the leadership, because there are no lines of division to incite disagreement and protest. Therefore, “They Show Each Other Stumps” describes those who show themselves their own paths and point out the obstacles that block it. The song could also be about standing against a fellow leader who becomes an obstacle to the progress of society. The difference is that unlike today, the past leaders mentioned in the song were trying their best to be mutually aligned and create peace for one another. Leadership used to be about complementarity, about working together to create a model society. But current people are simply against one another. Today it is about ridiculing one leader for the benefit of another.
6Kibirige interview, December 19, 2019.This interpretation points up the fact that seeking unity is something we often fail to do today. Kibirige reminds us that dissent in the population often grows from an initial disregard of the people’s wishes. To this point, he emphasizes the importance of accounting for one’s relationships when pursuing a leadership role. Neglecting even one rapport, especially one as important as one’s relationship with the masses, can result in disaster. Kibirige transforms “They Show Each Other Stumps” into a commentary on how we should conceive of contemporary politics. Rather than encouraging us to simply criticize and reject one leader for another, he explains the importance of rising above electoral politics to pursue the more important goal of uplifting the country. This framing recognizes the importance of mutuality, as it demonstrates that consensus is still achievable amid disagreement.