The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine has broken the silence on why he sent his children to the United States of America on Wednesday.
Photos of Kyagulanyi’s children shared on social media on Wednesday show the three of them in Entebbe Airport lounge awaiting their flight to the United States of America.
A number of social media users questioned Kyagulanyi on why his family had to leave the country, a week before the January 14 election.
In a comment that he later posted on his social media platforms, Kyagulanyi said that he got ‘credible’ information that the regime had hacked a plan to kidnap his children in order to coerce him into subjugation.
Kyagulanyi said, “For most of this year, they (the children) have largely lived as prisoners; very rarely leaving home. As we near the election, I received credible information from sources within the system of plans by the regime to cause physical harm to them.”
Kyagulanyi said that the current regime has made it a deliberate plot to attack him, and if they don’t, they attack those who are close to him as to demoralise him.
“There is nothing Museveni is not ready to do in order to stay in power against the will of Ugandans. That is why therefore, when I received information of pending physical attacks on me, my wife and kidnap of our children, friends in the diaspora reached out to us, offered to host them for a while, “Kyagulanyi said.
Kyagulanyi said that by him staying around with his wife, it does not mean that he is any safer.
Kyagulanyi said that those questioning his intentions to protect his children should be ashamed because in a free democracy, no one should have to live in fear for challenging the incumbent.
“In a free country, a presidential candidate would never have to wear a bullet-proof jacket and helmet in order to go for campaigns. That is the country we are struggling to build,” Kyagulanyi added.
Kyagulanyi also accused the ‘unprofessional’ immigration staff of sharing private travel information of minors with the public.
In 2017, at the height of the Age Limit debate, Kyagulanyi’s eldest son, Solomon Sekayi’s bedroom was reportedly attacked by unknown people who threw a canister at the bedroom window.
