Police has written to the management of Bob wine’s concert advising them to postpone or halt the event few hours left to the Easter Monday show slated to take place at One Love Beach Busabala, Uganda Police has made a U-turn and cancelled the concert which singer-cum politician Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine was scheduled to hold.
While addressing the press on April 16, Bobi Wine revealed that he informed Police of his plan to hold a string of concerts beginning with Busabala concert and a string of other shows in Gulu, Arua, and many other places.
On April 18, Police responded and gave Bobi Wine and the organisers a go-ahead warning that the concert must not be turned to a political event.
“The shows must strictly not be political or politically motivated in nature and must be done in an environment of law and order. Police will not hesitate to stop any of these functions at any one time, if they breach any of the regulations”, the Police stated.
However, after a brief sigh of relief, Police has made a U-turn.
Bobi Wine has revealed that Police intercepted trucks carrying equipment to Busabala last night and today, they were issued a letter stating that the concerts are cancelled.
“We have just received the letter from the Uganda Police stopping all our scheduled music shows—including the one scheduled for tomorrow at One Love Beach Busabala. They have been playing ping-pong games for over a month since we wrote to them”, part of Bobi Wine’s message on social media read.
In the letter from Police Head of Operations, Asuman Mugenyi, in which Commander Kampala Metropolitan Police and all RPCs are copied, the Police argued that Bobi Wine concerts have continuously breached the set regulations and endangered lives of Ugandans.
He stated that Police decided to cancel the concerts until there is a robust public security mechanism to secure revelers.
“The disregard for the set and agreed upon guidelines has quite often resulted in acts related to public nuisance, violations of traffic rules and regulations and various other misconducts which are not only a breach of the law but endanger lives of Ugandans, some of whom are part of the revelers”, part of the letter read.
Public Order Management Act mandates the police to preserve law and order before, during and after a public meeting to prevent violence restore order and preserve the peace. It also provides organisers and participants in relation to public meetings like a music concert; to prescribe measures for safeguarding public order.
Bobi Wine argues that the stringent conditions are discriminatory.
“Please, remember, all other artistes are not required to fulfill any of these requirements and their shows have not been stopped”, he said.
He threatened to ‘fight back’.
“We shall not sit and watch our rights continue to be violated. We shall resist this impunity”, he added.
Police Making Bobi Wine a Hero
After numerous antagonism and canceling of bob wines concerts around the country it has caused controversy and sparked protests and support to his presidential ambitions and as a buildup of the people power crusading around the country as a result of anger caused by security agencies.
