By Spy Uganda
The government of Uganda together with the Uganda Police Force are in hot soup after the High Court ruled on Thursday that it was illegal for the police to ban Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s ‘Kyarenga’ concerts, which had been organized in various parts of the country.
In her ruling, High Court Justice Esta Nambayo, declared that the orders of stopping of the events managers Bajjo and Abitex promotions from organising the Kyarenga Extra concerts which were to be held at One Love Beach Busabaala, Lira, Gulu and Arua “are illegal”.
Justice Nambayo also ordered the respondents in the case (Attorney General and Uganda Police Force) to pay costs, which amount to billions of shillings.
Through renowned city lawyer and also opposition politician Erias Lukwago, the applicants (Abitex, Bajjo Events and Bobi Wine sued the inspector General of police and the government of Uganda through the attorney General.
They claimed that the IGP’s directive of banning Bobi Wine’s ‘Kyarenga’ concerts was unconstitutional since they were never given a fair hearing.
They also challenged their violent arrest at Busabala one love beach on the 20th of April 2019, when one of the said ‘Kyarenga’ concert was expected to take place.
They further claimed that other ‘Kyarenga’ concerts had been organized in Gulu Arua among other places but were all cancelled.
The applicants prayed to court to declare the said directive null and void and instead ask court to order police to provide security at their future concerts instead of blocking them.
Speaking immediately after filling the petition, Lukwago said his clients lost businesses, incurred costs and spent a lot of money in organizing the said blocked concerts including in advertisement and paying for service providers and other attendant costs, hence they deserve compensation from government.
On the 8th of October 2017, Bobi Wine petitioned the high court in which he claimed that he has lived all his adult life earning a living through live music performances until on 8th of October 2017 when police banned his shows while fronting security concerns.
In his defence, Bobi Wine stated that the police’s reasons for blocking his music shows were a violation of his right to work and freedoms to speech, liberty and movement.
Through renowned Human rights lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi , Bobi Wine claimed that he had lost Shs300m for his cancelled shows at Colline Hotel Mukono, Kamuli, Busoga and in Kasese district where he had been invited and paid Shs20 million by his fellow legislator Jackson Mbaju to perform for his supporters in Busongora South County.
The banned shows were supposed to take place between 12th and 21st October 2017 respectively.
Bobi Wine was also seeking prohibition orders against the Attorney General and then Kampala Metropolitan police commander Frank Mesigwa whom he accused of threatening to end his music career by permanently interfering with his stage performances.
Bobi Wine had stated that unless court intervened in his situation, his livelihood and that of his family were at stake.
However, despite court ruling that cancellation of Bobi Wine’s concerts was illegal, the police are yet to issue a statement about the matter and whether they will allow him to stage concerts or not.
