By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: Kenya’s renowned global Pan-Africanist and one of Africa’s ‘walking Encyclopedia’ professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, commonly known as PLO Lumumba has expressed concern over continued ‘detention’ of Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine at his home under the guise of ‘preventive arrest’, as clearly put by Ugandan authorities.
Bobi Wine has since last Thursday, after casting his vote been barred from leaving his home located in Magere, a Kampala suburb, together with his wife Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi. The family has also been blocked from receiving any visitors since Thursday. Bobi Wine was announced as Museveni’s runner up in the just concluded presidential elections, which results he has rejected, saying he won the January 14 2021 elections.
PLO Lumumba has urged his fellow Pan-African Yoweri Museveni to free his challenger since the elections ended, and if there any incumbrances, Bobi Wine should be allowed to access courts of law and his lawyers since that’s the most civil thing to do.
“Dear president Y.K Museveni, Africans of goodwill humbly beseech you to allow Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) to enjoy his freedom now that the elections are over,” Lumumba wrote on his Facebook page.
Lumumba,an accomplished lawyer and Rights advocate is also remembered in Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyata/ Raila Odinga court battle where opposition figure was contesting the outcome of elections,where PLO Lumumba was the lead counsel to Uhuru Kenyata and every time he stood speak, chief justice and his entire bench had to beseech the nearest dictionary to interpret Lumumba’s vocabularies lest they misquoted his presentation!
Lumumba’s call join other international calls such as Amnesty International, EU, US Embassy Kampala, Civil Society Organizations, Humanitarians and Pan-Africanists among others to set his nemesis free to redeem his deteriorating international image. Museveni was named as NEW BREED OF AFRICAN HOPE soon after he seized power through a five year guerilla struggle, when, during his swearing in ceremony told the world that African problem were not the population, but the leader who over stay in power.
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“Continued detention of Bobi Wine and his lovely wife Barbie Kyagulanyi is not only illegal but the act is politically motivated, which could carry very dire consequences to the 40-year-old ruler, president Museveni,” said Amnesty in its statement on Monday.
Lumumba, a staunch Pan-Africanist, who has delivered several powerful speeches alluding to or about African solutions to African problems now says Museveni’s overstay in power could cause serious concerns in the EA region especially instability and economic growth.
Blockage Of Kyagulanyi Visitors
Just like all Ugandans are restricted from visiting Kyagulanyi, on Jan 18, 2021, it was a horrific movie-like for the United States Envoy to Uganda as they tried to visit house arrested opposition agent at his home when the government’s furious face masked army kicked them out like empty mineral water bottles under unclear reasons.
Disappointed US Ambassador Natalie E.Brown who had led the team, later spit venom on the embassy’s official Facebook page, wondering why the government could deny her chance to check on Hon. Kyagulanyi’s health and safety, given that he’s effectively been unable to leave his home, with security forces surrounding his residence.
Kyagulanyi’s Status
On Jan 20, 2021, Kyagulanyi via his Facebook echoed for support saying he had spent six days under house arrest without food and stuck with an 18month old baby whose parent was blocked from coming back to pick her by the army.
Kyagulanyi posted thus; “Day six under house arrest and we’re still stuck with an 18month old baby. Her dad had brought her to visit her auntie (Barbie) just before we were raided and besieged, he was blocked from picking her up. We have completely run out of food and milk yet no one is allowed to leave or come into our home.”
