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Ugandan President's Leisurely Roadside Phone Call Inspires the #M7Challenge on Twitter

Categories: Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda, Citizen Media, Humor, Politics
A photo posted on Facebook by Presidential Press Secretary showing Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni speaking on the phone by the roadside.

A photo posted on Facebook by Presidential Press Secretary Don Wanyama showing Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni speaking on the phone by the roadside.

Twitter has exploded with funny memes after a photo appeared online showing Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni sitting on a chair by the roadside to make a call. His motorcade, which was on the way to a public event, stopped for about 30 minutes for him to make the call.

Presidential Press Secretary Don Wanyama posted [1] the photo on his Facebook page with the following message:

On the way from Isingiro District yesterday where he'd presided over the World Population Day celebrations, President Museveni stopped at Kyeirumba Village to make a phone call. Curious residents gathered to look at the President, who after 30 minutes on phone, briefly interacted with them. They thanked the government for tarmacking the road linking Uganda to Tanzania through Isingiro.

Some people wondered whether the photo was part of a plan to divert attention from the news of the release [2] of main opposition politician Kizza Besigye, who was in jail for two months facing treason charges.

The hashtag #M7Challenge [3] has been used to show images of Ugandans and other people around the world taking calls by the roadside. President Museveni is nicknamed M7 because of the sound of his name. Other Twitter users have been posting edited photos mocking the president.

It is not yet known who Museveni was speaking to or the subject of the conversation.

One Twitter user suggested that Museveni was speaking to leaders in South Sudan, where troubling violence has erupted [5]:

Museveni has ordered [8]the Ugandan army to evacuate Ugandans living in South Sudan following recent clashes in the capital, Juba.

Rosebell Kagumire warned #M7Challenge participants not to try this stunt:

Fredrick Tumusiime shared an alleged advert for a local television station in Uganda:

Other Twitter users carried their office chairs outside to make a call:

Mathias Wandera showed Museveni taking a call on the moon:

The challenge, observed AutoblogKE, is a good tip for drivers:

Omara Ronnie took his #M7Challenge photo at a footpath to show respect to all road users:

iAfrikan showed the Portuguese national team celebrating their Euro2016 while Museveni is busy on the phone:

Mathias Wandera posted the image of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe kneeling infront of Museveni:

Ory Okolloh Mwangi highlighted the following image featuring a character from Game of Thrones

Kids were not left out:

Meanwhile, Michael Kwambo is waiting for his turn at the challenge: