By Ronald Nahabwe
Kampala: Popular singer turned politician Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, of the People Power pressure group, is so sad and blue as you read this, after the Uganda police blocking his ‘Engule Mu Kyarenga’ Easter concerts.
Bobi Wine was slated to stage the Easter Monday concert at his One Love Beach and would stage the other concerts in Gulu, Arua and Moyo disticts on subsequent days. However, although word has been going around that the police had okayed his concerts, he got the shock of his life on Saturday night when the police issued a letter blocking all his concerts. In the letter signed by police spokesperson Fred Enanga, the Police contend that the organisers of the concerts failed to adhere to ‘Stricter Guidelines and security procedures that they were instructed to adhere to.’ The letter reads in part thus; “The Police have today, Sunday April 21, 2019, informed the promoters of the Kyarenga Extra Concert, that it will not risk securing their planned music concerts due to their failure to adhere to the stricter safety guidelines and site infrastructure concerns at the selected venues…”
The Letter also states that “We want to inform the public that despite the elaborate and clear guidelines with the promoters, regarding their preparations, manner and conduct during the concert, as well as safety and security demands from their side; our intelligence picked up information that the event was still a risk to public safety. The promoters totally failed to meet the proactive harm minimization measures agreed upon to help address potential eventualities that might arise due to overcrowding…”
Meanwhile, we have learnt that the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola also issued orders to the Police to ensure that Bobi Wine’s Easter concerts are stopped. According to a letter written by director of Police operations AIGP Asuman Mugenyi on behalf of IGP Ochola, Bobi Wine’s concerts were blocked by police on grounds that every time he gets police clearance, there has been bleach of set rules and regulations. Police went to say that during the concerts there have been several cases of public nuisances, violation of traffic rules and violence, which affects not only revelers but also other innocent members of the public. Mugenyi instructed all police commanders to block Bobi Wine’s concerts until further notice.
After being notified about the cancellation of his concerts, Bobi Wine took to social media and issued the following statement; We have just received this letter from the Uganda Police Force 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. Three days ago, they wrote back to us giving us a litany of requirements. We invested huge sums of money to meet their demands, some of which were unreasonable. This was in addition to what we have invested in advertising and preparing the show. I think they thought we would fail to meet them. When we did and submitted them, the responsible officers started hiding themselves from us! Last night, they intercepted the trucks which were carrying the machines for the show. Today, this is the letter they gave to us- no show. Please remember, all other artistes are not required to fulfill any of these requirements and their shows have not been stopped. This brings the total number of our blocked concerts across the country to 124 since October, 2017.”We shall not sit and watch as our rights continue to be violated. WE SHALL RESIST THIS IMPUNITY. However, our Spies have learnt that the promoters of the cancelled concerts who include Abtex Promotions and Bajjo Events have threatened to drag the police to court, to seek compensation for the losses and costs incurred in organizing the cancelled concerts.
