KAMPALA – Kyaddondo East Members of Parliament (MP) Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has said that blocking his concerts will not threaten him into silence.
The popular musician turned lawmaker spoke a few hours after he was blocked from proceeding to One Love Beach in Makindye Division, the venue of the planned but violently banned Kyarenga concert.
The footage on his official social media platforms showed police removing him from his vehicle and shoving him into a black police truck.
“Police and the military blocked us from reaching Busabala for our press conference about police brutality, injustice and abuse of authority,” Bobi Wine said on Twitter, on Monday, April 22.
“They have been trying to break into our car. Now they are clamping it to drag us away,” he said, shortly before his administration team posted an update saying he was “violently arrested.”
Bobi Wine was then driven to his Magere-based home in Wakiso District by the police after hours of confrontation with hundreds of his supporters and a number some MPs including Francis Zaake and Allan Ssewanyana who had headed to Busabala protesting police brutality and intimidation.
“I have been put under 24-hour surveillance as if I am a criminal,” he said, adding that all People Power activities across the country have been blocked with impunity.
“Several of our songs have been banned on radio and television stations. All these illegalities have been orchestrated by a few people in the police leadership, acting on the orders of President [Yoweri] Museveni,” he said.
Bobi Wine said he and his team will peacefully demonstrate against police illegalities.
He told journalists: “We call upon all those who have been victims of police brutality, injustice and misuse of authority, as well as other well-meaning Ugandans to demonstrate peacefully against these illegalities,” continuing: “We have written to the police informing them of our intention to protest against the police, as required by law.”
Bobi Wine added: “On Tuesday, 23rd April, 2019 I will use public transport and if necessary walk to the Police Headquarters in Naguru (a Kampala suburb) to deliver the letter notifying them of our intentions. All other Ugandans who wish to protest are also encouraged to write to the police and walk or drive there to deliver the letters of notification. We cannot continue to live as slaves in our own country!”
At Busabala, he said, police confiscated his cars and that it has stopped him from working to get money for buying fuel so, “I will use public means or even walk on foot to take the letter to the police tomorrow.”
Security forces have frequently prevented Bobi Wine, 37, from staging concerts, often accusing him of failing to comply with public order management rules.
Bobi Wine and his supporters accuse the government of cancelling his shows due to his political ambitions.
“Police are empowered by the law to use reasonable force and that’s what we did to disperse his supporters and make him comply with our orders,” Kampala Metropolitan police spokesman Patrick Onyango told journalists Monday, April 22.
