Recho Rey born Rachael Mirembe , is an Ugandan Emcee. She began making music at the age of 19. Rey typically makes light hearted, fun, Hip pop music. Music that makes you want to dance. However, the now 23 year old, switches it up a little for one of her latest songs titled, “Imagine Uganda.”
The citizens of Uganda are currently in a battle against corruption, violence, and poverty in Uganda. The country has been in a state of unrest. In November of 2020, demonstrations broke out after Presidential candidate Bobi Wine was arrested. The youth took to the streets, in order to challenge Wine’s arrest. These protests left 58 people killed over the course of 2 days. When asked about the violence, Ugandan police inflicted over Ugandan citizens Security Minister Elly Tumwine said that police have the right to shoot protesters dead if they reach a level of violence. 2 more citizens were killed and 23 were arrested on January 16, 2021 after it was announced that Bobi Wine lost the Presidential election.
Rey’s song “Imagine Uganda” is a response to the current unrest in Uganda. Rey uses the song as a call for unity amongst Ugandan citizens. She wants Ugandans to imagine the transformation Uganda could achieve, if they all came together. In her lyrics she request that her people imagine what Uganda would look like without corruption, violence, and poverty. The music video for the song was uploaded to Youtube on January 23, 2021. The video begins with the Ugandan national anthem playing, features animations of newscaster on air alongside images of Uganda. Rey takes her listener on a trip. A trip that features the possibilities of Uganda. Rey has imagined what her country can be transformed into through unity, and now she wants her people to imagine it too. She wants her people to create their own imagination of Uganda, by using her own imagination.
The social and political unrest in Uganda can end in a flourishing country. A country finally free of corruption, violence, and poverty. In order to get there a sense of unity has to occur between its citizens. The future of Uganda is unknown, however the citizens of the country will be instrumental in determining the future of Uganda.
