Genuine Praise
Following Sserwanga and Ssebuwufu’s perspectives, the interpreters of “Baamunaanika Hill” explore how genuine praise and related themes apply to twenty-first-century political contexts. For example, Harriet Kisuule offers her thoughts on the rewards and results of the caring leadership that Buganda’s king exemplifies. Expanding on the notion of reciprocity, she stresses that leaders will only be able to attain love and care from their people when they demonstrate it themselves. In particular, she compares the alleged behavior of President Museveni with that of King Mutebi II (r. 1993–present), articulating how the king takes his responsibility to his people more seriously than the president. Kisuule alleges that the president is lacking in his sense of responsibility to the masses:
People love a leader who leads well. A leader who accepts advice, judges the subjects fairly, and cares for them genuinely. These are some of the qualities of Buganda’s current king and the reason for which many Baganda love him. They are satisfied with his leadership and do not complain about him. People in other leadership positions should take note of his attributes and try to emulate them within their own positions. President Museveni, for example, could be more popular among the masses if he paid close attention to why they love the king or tried himself to emulate the king’s ways. The king handles his duties with care and caution, especially by taking the time to listen to his people. Elected leaders should use listening as a strategy to help them secure second terms in office. These habits enable the king to be a successful leader. His popularity is derived from the exemplary leadership he offers. Finally, to be good and successful, leaders should not superimpose themselves in situations where heavy-handed leadership is unnecessary. This is another strength of the king of Buganda.
1Kisuule interview, December 21, 2019.In supplying current examples that fit the historical contexts of “Baamunaanika Hill,” Kisuule reimagines the song as a work with messages that Ugandans can use to address the political challenges of today. She suggests that leaders may only receive genuine praise when their labor warrants it. Such a conundrum seems to beg for a more reciprocal and caring power dynamic.
Explaining the benefits that come from closely associating with leaders, Peter Kinene compares the care that court musicians such as Sserwanga and Ssebuwufu once received from King Muteesa II (food, housing, land) to the promotions and gifts that those who support national politicians receive. He points to the singer’s confession that he has profited from being in the proximity of the king, warning that such opportunities might inspire manipulation and greed rather than integrity. As self-interest constantly shifts, it behooves people in a leader’s close circle to know that manipulation and greed can be the near enemy of a wholesome relationship. In this vein, Kinene points to specific figures in the national government:
When President Museveni put forward a motion to abolish the upper age limit for the presidency, some people supported the motion and tabled the proposal. In return, he made some of those people cabinet ministers. Aligning themselves with the president opened up a variety of privileges and opportunities for them. This is the order of the day in the contemporary Ugandan political scene. Those who make it their goal to help leaders consolidate and retain their power are those who profit the most. Therefore, being close to leaders tends to invoke personal change, as people profit due to their proximity to them.
2Kinene interview, December 16, 2019.Kinene’s commentary highlights an alternative understanding of the relationship that “Baamunaanika Hill” describes. Rather than imagining a positive and virtuous exchange between leaders and subjects, he shows us the flip side, that of a near enemy. He reveals how the benefits that the singer gains could be at the expense of the masses. By highlighting the risks of this relationship, Kinene equips us with a more critical stance on such encounters, avoiding the lofty idealism that might suffuse one’s praise of leadership. Furthermore, Kinene demonstrates how authority based on a transactional model might lead to the “purchase” of empty praise and conditional loyalty.
Kinene then compares the advantages that Uganda’s president provides to his followers with those that Buganda’s king has provided to his people. He suggests that the main difference between the two is that the king does not offer rewards for loyalty but acts of kindness that flow into the reciprocal nature of the power dynamic. According to Kinene, “Baamunaanika Hill” alludes to how King Muteesa II provided for his people, and it also evokes how King Mutebi II invests in programs that uplift and benefit the population:
The king spearheads programs for education, literacy, healthcare, and economic growth.
3For examples of these programs, see Matovu 2023. One program currently in place is called Coffee Does Not Disappoint (Emmwanyi Terimba). Focusing on encouraging financial development and healthy saving habits through coffee production, this movement has received a lot of support from the masses and the prime minister’s office. Because of this and other programs, as well as the support they receive from the king’s government, many Baganda are always thinking about the good that their king does for them. In other words, people recognize the benefits they receive from him, and because of that, they choose to remain under his rule.
4Kinene interview, December 16, 2019.Kinene’s point shows how the king operates with the implicit knowledge that he serves the people with a loving and persistent dedication.
Further elaborating on the love and respect shared between the king and the Baganda people, Kinene delves deeper into what exactly constitutes their mutuality, referencing the lyric “Should you happen to see my dear, convey to him my respects” (line 15) to emphasize that this love is not merely superficial or transactional:
Good leadership and the love of the people are part of a self-reinforcing cycle. The Baganda people generally have freedom, they eat well, and they are happy. That is partly why they respect the king and support him to remain in power, carrying out his administrative responsibilities from one of his seats at Baamunaanika. Freedom, liberty, and peace—all being elements that are so desirable to a people—spring from the leadership itself, which is why the king’s subjects praise and support him, as Sserwanga sings. If the king was not an effective leader, the musicians, and the other people he leads would not be praising him in the manner they do. His subjects trust him so that even when there are difficulties, they will not lose hope. Because the king handles matters with care, the people let him rule and they always have hope in him.
5Ibid.By examining the finer details of the song’s lyrics, Kinene offers a new conception to apply to this power dynamic, allowing us to see and appreciate how the love that many people feel for the king exemplifies a profound sense of respect. Their mutuality is a model for sustainable leadership.
Continuing with this theme, Steven Mukasa Kabugo articulates that this power dynamic has a familial nature, noting that it “behooves the Baganda to praise and speak well of the king and queen, whom they love, just as with their own wives and husbands.”
6Kabugo interview, December 19, 2019. He adds that some Baganda “exalt the king and queen over anyone else. There is a sense of familial respect, which applies equally to the king and queen as it would to a father-in-law or mother-in-law, both of whom are important figures in Buganda.”
7Ibid. This familial reverence for royalty evokes the love that one might hold for one’s kin. Accordingly, we can illuminate the macropolitical realm with micropolitical, interpersonal phenomena.
Kisuule then flips the script, delving into the darker reality of what might happen when leaders refuse to govern with a sense of love and respect. To help us understand this danger, Kisuule explains that the king’s rule depends on the people’s love and respect for him, while the admiration of national politicians might rely too heavily on coercion and threats of retribution. According to Kisuule, the result is that national politicians tend to impose a facade of power rather than allowing the people to naturally grant it to them:
Effective leaders win the love and respect of the masses by listening to their needs. An interest in their well-being, rather than a simple desire to rule over them, is critical. Otherwise, a descent into terror tactics and despotism is likely. It seems like President Museveni has fallen into the latter category. Sometimes he incites fear by saying he came to power through violence and harsh tactics and that the next president will only remove him from power by similar methods. People have begun to realize that he will only leave office through death or war. It is clear he is not ready to have an open dialogue about changes to the presidency. He has replaced the love people had for him in their hearts with fear and hate and has lost the trust of the electorate. True leaders need to prove their love and care for their people. It is by being patriotic and ready to serve the nation, as opposed to thinking only of one’s own needs, that a leader can thrive in his position.
8Kisuule interview, December 21, 2019.In this interpretation, Kisuule imagines “Baamunaanika Hill” not in terms of its praise but of the flip side where the negative effects arise when one rejects one’s responsibilities to the people. As a result, she gives us a more nuanced perspective on both Uganda’s political situation and the song.