By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: The police and army have Wednesday arrested several People Power members after foiling protests in areas of Kamwokya and Bukoto, aimed at compelling government to free MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, who is said to be under house arrest.
Bobi Wine was meant to walk to Police Headquarters in Naguru on Tuesday after his brutal arrest and cancellation of his Kyarenga Extra concerts by police. The legislator’s home in Magere has since been surrounded by the army and police. However, today, People Power supporters staged protests in Kamwokya, demanding Bobi Wine’s release. But the protests were repulsed by antiriot police and Military Police officers, who dispersed the protesters using teargas canons, rubber bullets and batons. The officers swung into action 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, Waksio district.
They lit old tyres in the middle of the road prompting security to disperse them. The singer cum politician has not been able to leave his home since his arrest on Easter Monday, something his People Power supporters claim is affecting his work in parliament, private business and exercising of his freedom of expression. After quelling the riots, business is back to normal, although police and army remain heavily deployed at Ssemakokiro Plaza in Kamwokya, which houses Bobi Wine’s studios. The embassy of the United States of America has since condemned Bobi Wine’s brutal arrest and police’s blocking of his concerts, contending that it is tantamount to human rights abuse. While commenting about his siege, Bobi Wine wrote on social media yesterday thus;”POLICE AND THE MILITARY HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED AT MY RESIDENCE SINCE YESTERDAY, AFTER THE VIOLENT ARREST. MY HOME IS UNDER SIEGE. THEY HAVE SURROUNDED MY FENCE AND INSTALLED BARRICADES ON ALL ROADS LEADING TO MY HOME. IT IS TODAY WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE OUT OF MY HOME THAT THE POLICE TOLD ME THAT I AM UNDER HOUSE ARREST. I WAS HEADED TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN NAGURU TO DELIVER A NOTIFICATION ABOUT OUR PLANNED PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY, INJUSTICE AND MISUSE OF AUTHORITY. WHEN THEY BLOCKED ME, I ASKED MY LAWYERS TO DELIVER THE LETTER, BUT THEY TOO HAVE BEEN BLOCKED AND STOPPED FROM ACCESSING THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS. A PUBLIC OFFICE! THEY WERE ORDERED TO LEAVE THE GATE TO THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS IMMEDIATELY OR FACE ARREST!”
