By Spy Uganda
The government of Uganda together with the Uganda Police Force are in hot soup after the High Court ruled on Thursday that it was illegal for the police to ban Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s ‘Kyarenga’ concerts, which had been organized in various parts of the country.
In her ruling, High Court Justice Esta Nambayo, declared that the orders of stopping of the events managers Bajjo and Abitex promotions from organising the Kyarenga Extra concerts which were to be held at One Love Beach Busabaala, Lira, Gulu and Arua “are illegal”.
Justice
Nambayo also ordered the respondents in the case (Attorney General and Uganda
Police Force) to pay costs, which amount to billions of shillings.
Through
renowned city lawyer and also opposition politician Erias Lukwago, the
applicants (Abitex, Bajjo Events and Bobi Wine sued the inspector General of
police and the government of Uganda through the attorney General.
They claimed
that the IGP’s directive of banning Bobi Wine’s ‘Kyarenga’ concerts was
unconstitutional since they were never given a fair hearing.
They also
challenged their violent arrest at Busabala one love beach on the 20th of April
2019, when one of the said ‘Kyarenga’ concert was expected to take place.
They further
claimed that other ‘Kyarenga’ concerts had been organized in Gulu Arua among
other places but were all cancelled.
The
applicants prayed to court to declare the said directive null and void and
instead ask court to order police to provide security at their future concerts
instead of blocking them.
Speaking
immediately after filling the petition, Lukwago said his clients lost businesses, incurred
costs and spent a lot of money in organizing the said blocked concerts
including in advertisement and paying for service providers and other attendant
costs, hence they deserve compensation from government.
On the 8th
of October 2017, Bobi Wine petitioned the high court in which he claimed that
he has lived all his adult life earning a living through live music performances
until on 8th of October 2017 when police banned his shows while fronting
security concerns.
In his
defence, Bobi Wine stated that the police’s reasons for blocking his music shows
were a violation of his right to work and freedoms to speech, liberty and
movement.
Through
renowned Human rights lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi , Bobi Wine claimed that he
had lost Shs300m for his cancelled shows
at Colline Hotel Mukono, Kamuli, Busoga and in Kasese district where he had
been invited and paid Shs20 million by his fellow legislator Jackson Mbaju to
perform for his supporters in Busongora South County.
The banned shows were supposed to take place between 12th and 21st October 2017 respectively.
Bobi Wine
was also seeking prohibition orders against the Attorney General and then Kampala
Metropolitan police commander Frank Mesigwa whom he accused of threatening to
end his music career by permanently interfering with his stage performances.
Bobi Wine
had stated that unless court intervened in his situation, his livelihood and
that of his family were at stake.
However, despite
court ruling that cancellation of Bobi Wine’s concerts was illegal, the police
are yet to issue a statement about the matter and whether they will allow him
to stage concerts or not.
(https://www.thenaturalresult.com/)
