In the latest clash involving the Ugandan government and musician-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, a concert scheduled to hold in Kampala has been cancelled by the Police.
The music show, which coincided with Independence Day on October 9, was organized by Wine, a Member of Parliament for Kyadondo East.
Citing reasons for the cancellation, authorities said Wine did not take into consideration plans for medical care, traffic control, crowd control, and security in preparing for the show tagged Osobola.
“This serves to inform you that the notice to the Inspector General of Police has remarkable deficiencies, which do not guarantee (the) lawfulness, safety, security for the public and organizers,” Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola, said in a letter released to Kampala Metropolitan Police on Tuesday.
Moreover, the spokesman for Kampala Metropolitan Police, Patrick Onyango, said they would be unable to provide adequate security as police officers will be at the Independence Day celebrations in authorized venues.
As against the reasons given by authorities for calling off the Bobi Wine show, it is apparent that the move is purely political. Since joining politics as an MP in May 2017, over 125 music concerts by Bobi Wine, who is also a presidential aspirant, have been cancelled according to The East African.
In April, the Ugandan police stopped a concert on grounds that Wine had not followed due procedure. Field Force Unit (FFU) officers reportedly used force to tumble the concert plans, Bobi Wine was pepper-sprayed and his car windows were smashed.
The 37-year-old Wine has rattled the government since becoming a legislator, publicly criticizing the ruling administration of President Yoweri Museveni in what has earned him growing support. His rising political ambitions and wide support from the youth have provoked a clampdown by the government, which has detained some of Wine’s supporters and tear-gassed his rallies.
Moreover, six of Wine’s supporters were detained earlier this month by Ugandan security personnel for wearing red berets, which is a banned symbol of his People Power pressure group.
The singer, lawmaker was reportedly conducting rehearsals at his music studio in Kampala when the police announced the latest cancellation of his musical show. However, Wine said he did not receive any letter and would proceed with the concert as planned.
