Media personality Kalaki Brian has urged restraint and unity amid growing public debate surrounding Victoria University Vice Chancellor Dr. Lawrence Muganga’s rejected ministerial nomination, which has been linked to dual citizenship concerns and broader discussions on identity in Uganda.
In a detailed public reflection, Kalaki acknowledged that members of the Banyarwanda community in Uganda have historically faced discrimination in various aspects of life, including access to official documentation, employment opportunities, and social interactions.
However, he emphasized that such experiences should not overshadow what he described as stronger bonds of coexistence within the country.
He called on members of the community to avoid emotional reactions to the ongoing controversy, warning that heightened responses could worsen divisions rather than resolve underlying grievances.
“I do admit that Banyarwanda in Uganda have faced discrimination in many ways… However, the good things in Uganda and its people are much more significant,” he stated, while urging restraint in interpreting the current situation.
Kalaki specifically warned against what he described as attempts by some actors to inflame emotions through social media content circulating around the rejection of Dr. Muganga’s nomination.
He said such material risks deepening resentment and hardening identity-based divisions.
“The videos are triggering anger, hate and negative sentiments that will breed irreversible situations,” he said, cautioning that sustained anger could distort perceptions and fuel hostility between communities.
In his remarks, he drew parallels with broader historical experiences of ethnic conflict, warning that sustained polarization can escalate if left unchecked.
While referencing the Rwandan genocide, he argued that such tragedies often begin with the deliberate amplification of fear and division by a small number of actors, eventually leading communities to dehumanize one another.
“The Rwandan genocide didn’t start because the Hutu and Tutsi hated to live together. It started because a few individuals fueled situations that created insecurity and thickened tribal differences,” he noted.
Kalaki also directly addressed Dr. Muganga, expressing personal sympathy over the situation while urging him to seek calm away from public scrutiny.
“I love you as my brother and feel your pain but I please ask you to take it to a quiet safe place and heal from it,” he said, adding that media attention may intensify perceptions of division rather than help resolve the matter.
He further reflected on his own experiences of discrimination but contrasted them with positive personal relationships across different communities in Uganda, saying many of his interactions have been defined by friendship rather than ethnic identity.
Recalling both painful and positive encounters, he said moments of anger should not dictate long-term perceptions or responses.
“In the moment of anger, silence will save you so much that impulsive reactions will have you regretting the moment you are calm,” he said.