Museveni to probe ‘crooks’ in security for 'mistreating' musician Bosmic
An undated photo of Mr William Otim, alias Bosmic Otim, who has been on the run over alleged gun possession. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- Otim had earlier been a vibrant mobiliser of the People Power movement turned into NUP party, in Acholi before the 2021 General Election. However, he fell out with the pressure group alleging that leadership was never supportive to his struggles in the sub-region. However, he also later disowned the NRM.
- Mr Otim’s trouble started three days after the death of late former Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah.
- In a song, Mr Otim questioned the death of Oulanyah and urged the public to rise up and save the remaining sons and daughters of Acholi, whom he claimed were drying mysteriously while serving the government.
President Museveni on Saturday vowed to probe security operatives he described as crooks for allegedly mistreating Gulu-based musician and politician, Bosmic Otim who has been on the run since April 2022 on allegations of illegal possession of fire arm.
“Mr Bosmic Otim was mistreated by some crooks and forced to flee to Nairobi and South Sudan. Additionally, he was falsely accused, with claims that he was a rebel. Now that he has returned, I welcome him back to Uganda and to the NRM party. We will investigate to determine who is responsible for this mistreatment and uncover the reasons behind it,” President Museveni said in a May 4, 2024 video posted on his X handle.
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Mr Otim has since April 2022 been on the run after the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and the Uganda Police said they were hunting for him over illegal gun possession.
William Otim, aka Lucky Bosmic (L) and the then Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi. COURTESY/FILE PHOTO
Otim had earlier been a vibrant mobiliser of the People Power movement ---which morphed into NUP---before 2021 general election. He later fell out with the pressure group alleging that the pressure group under the leadership of Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, was never supportive of his struggles in Acholi sub-region. However, he also later disowned the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
“I ran for my life. It was very shameful when members of my own party, the NRM turned against me after the elections just because of the rewards I was supposed to get. As the chief mobiliser of Greater North I was denied facilitation and yet I managed to do a very good successful mobilization for NRM and we won the elections. However, my fellow members of NRM decided to kill me and I ran for my life. Today, I’m back home and so honoured to be recived by President Museveni. I’m back home to work on implementation of government policies that we were preaching to people during mobilization,” Mr Otim said.
In November 2022, Brig Bonny Bamwiseki, the commander of the UPDF 4th Division headquartered in Gulu City, said they had given Mr Otim amnesty.
“Tell him to come back, call him, tell him to come back this is our home, no one will harass him again. So let the public not scare him that because they saw him carrying a gun that means treason, because so many people in public out there are hiding guns,” Brig Bamwiseki told this publication in an interview.
Mr Otim’s trouble started three days after the death of late former Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah. In a song, Mr Otim questioned the death of Oulanyah and urged the public to rise up and save the remaining sons and daughters of Acholi, whom he claimed were dying mysteriously while serving the government.
At the burial of Oulanyah, a security directive was issued to officers to arrest Otim on sight amid fears that he could turn up and cause unnecessary drama. On realising that he was a wanted man, Mr Otim fled Uganda.
Bosmic Otim being whisked away by police officers at Gulu Main Market were they were holding a rally for the People Power Northern Chapter in june 2019. PHOTO/ URN
OTIM’S CONTROVERSIES
Before the UPDF intervention, Otim had been posting pictures and video recordings on social media while posing with different types of guns and clad in military fatigues. In the first video recording, the musician is seen holding an AK47 assault rifle while threatening to carry out revenge on people he alleges are used to kill Acholi.
The recordings sparked controversy over the source of the military fatigues and guns.
