Security quells Bobi Wine protests, deploy near his studio

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A combined team of soldiers and police has quelled down a protest against the continued blockage of the Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, Robert Sentamu Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine in Kamwokya, city suburbs.

The officers swung in action this morning when a group of youth in Kamwokya, the home of Fire Base crew, which is led by Bobi Wine took to the streets to protest the security siege of his home in Magere in Waksio district.

They lit old tyres in the middle of the road prompting security to disperse them. Bobi Wine has been under close security since Easter Monday when police stopped his concert at his One Love Beach in Busabala. The singer cum politician has not been able to leave his home since then; a thing his supporters say is affecting his work in parliament and private business.

By the time of publishing this story, business had normalized in Kamwokya with heavy security presence near Bobi Wine recording studio on Ssemakokiro Plaza. On Tuesday, Bobi Wine had planned to deliver a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola, informing him about his planned peaceful demonstration against the cancellation of his music concerts.

It came after Ochola issued a letter on Easter Sunday through the Director of Operations Uganda Police Force, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Asuman Mugenyi cancelling Bobi Wine Easter Monday concert on grounds that his previous music concerts held at the same beach fell short of security guidelines.

Ochola claims that Kyagulanyi’s shows have severally turned into a public nuisance, violated traffic rules and regulations and caused other misconducts, which don’t  only breach law but endanger the lives of other people who are not even part of his music events.

“On that background, therefore Uganda Police will not be able to secure your planned concerts and will not risk them to be carried out in any insecure environment,” Ochola’s letter read in part. Bobi Wine has since vowed not to sit back and watch his rights being violated.

The singer accused police of playing ping-pong whenever he writes to them for clearance for his concerts.

“Three days ago, they wrote back to us giving us a litany of requirements. We invested huge sums of money to meet their demands, some of which were unreasonable. This was in addition to what we have invested in advertising and preparing the show,” Bobi Wine said shortly after police blocked his concert.

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