Kyagulanyi sues IGP, RDC for blocking his talk show

Mbale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform-NUP president has sued government for blocking his radio talk show in Mbale city last week. The respondents to the suit are the Attorney General, Inspector General of Police, Martins Okoth Ochola, Elgon Region Police Commander, Wesely Nganizi, Mbale District Police Commander, Fred Ahimbisbwe, Mbale Resident Commissioner, Sulaiman Ogajjo Barasa.

The others are the Officer in Charge of Mbale Central Police Station, Arafat Kato and District Internal Security Officer, George Mwonda. The suite comes a few days after police blocked Kyagulanyi from appearing on a weekly political talk show on the Mbale city based BCU FM radio.

Police deployed heavily to block Kyagulanyi and his team from accessing BCU FM premises along Naboa road on Saturday morning leading to running battles with People Power activists. Now, through his lawyers of Wameli & Co. Advocates, Kyagulanyi says the actions of the respondents, their agents and those who acted under them are not acceptable or demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society.

He says they infringed on his right to freedom of the press and other media contrary to Article 29(1a), 43(2a) of the 1995 constitution. Kyagulanyi also contends that the respondents violated his right to equity and freedom from discrimination contrary to article 21(1a) and 43(2a and c) of the constitution.

He wants the respondents to personally compensate him for the violation of his rights, pay punitive damages for their high handedness and fragrant breach of the law. “It is in the interest of the of protection of human rights and the rule of law that an order of a permanent injunction does issues restraining the respondents, their agents or persons acting under them from further blocking me from accessing and/or speaking on any radio station in Mbale or elsewhere,” reads the application.

Wameli told journalists shortly after filing the application at Mbale High court that they want court to hold all those who blocked Kyagulanyi’s radio talk show personally liable for their action.

Eremeya Mawanda, the Mbale Chief Magistrate has August 18th, 2020 as the date of hearing the application.

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